It's not all about work
by AnnaHiwatari
Summary: Zoro x Reader story. Zoro and you work at the same company with others. He is constantly busy and thinks mostly about his job. You really like him but you two always get into fights. When he's not working, Zoro really likes to drink, in other people's apartments. For now, you're "friends" but what happens later...?
1. Chapter 1

_This is my first fic, please go easy on me ^^_

_Zoro x Reader fanfic with Slice of Life genre. This is pre-time skip version but as you're all working you're all... a bit older ^^" You imagine yourself how old are the Mugiwaras and yourself. Anything's okay since I won't mention age (I guess... ^^")_

_So, this fic will have it all - laughs, tears, jealousy, love and even lemons!_

_Enjoy~_

* * *

It was just another day at work and another late night. It was already passed midnight as I unlocked the door of my apartment. I was living alone and walking into the pinch black room was scary, of course, so I hit the light switch fast. I took off my shoes and, as a lazy person I am, dropped them in the middle of the hallway, along with my jacket and briefcase. Today's paperwork slid out from the briefcase but I just frowned at that and continued my way to the living room. As soon as I sat on the sofa, my stomach growled, asking for food. I looked at the kitchen, which was several steps away, and whined, too lazy to get up. No matter how lazy I was at that moment, the pain in my stomach was unbearable so I had to go to find some food. Living just on the convenient store food every working day wasn't easy, it was hard and annoying, eating just snacks all day. I somehow dragged myself to the fridge to open it. Inside was nothing more than some bottled water, beer, ramen, soggy salad, opened package of ice-cream and some tomatoes. I took that bowl of ramen to taste it. It was horrible, alright! Summing it all, there was nothing to eat. I threw away that dead ramen and gave a call to the nearby "_Pizza House_".

"_Ah, [y/n]-san it's you. The usual order?"_, said Johnny, the delivery guy, after recognizing my voice.

"Yeah, the usual stuff. Please make it quick and this time add some more ketchup, will ya?", I replied and went back to the living room.

"_Okay! I'll make it in 20… no, 15 minutes, just for you.",_ he said all so happily over the phone.

"Thanks, you're a sweetie.", he giggled at my words. Johnny ended the conversation with a few more sentences and small laughs.

I turned on the TV and put the phone on a small table in front of me. I switched the channels fast, not paying much attention to what's on them. In the end, I gave up on TV and threw the remote in the pillows on the other side of the sofa. I let out a heavy sigh and relaxed my head on the back of the sofa. My legs and shoulders were killing me! Nami, the chief of the financial department that was also "patrolling" my department once in a while, gave me extra work today. That woman is a witch!

'_I need a massage…',_ I thought. I unbuttoned a few buttons on my shirt and just relaxed. I looked up at the ceiling and closed my eyes few moments later. I was thinking about _him_. He didn't came to work today, he went on a business trip 2 days ago and was supposed to be back today, but I never saw him.

'_Do I … miss him?_', I thought but quickly shook my head to throw those thoughts out. But, sadly, I couldn't.

I was still thinking about _the green moss-head_. I didn't want to admit to myself, but I actually liked the guy. Ever since I got employed to the company, ever since I first saw him, I knew he will be stuck in my mind forever. These past 3 days were quiet at the company because he wasn't there to constantly fight with his co-worker, Sanji. Those two were in the same department so it was always noisy there. I was one floor above them, but the yelling and harsh words could be heard very clear. I drifted away in my thoughts but snapped out as the doorbell rang.

'_Oh, pizza's here! I almost forgot about it...',_ I buttoned back my shirt and rushed to the door. As expected, Johnny was in front of my apartment door, delivering me pizza personally.

"Here's your order, [y/n]-san.", he said lifting up the box a little, trying to sound manly even with a blush on his face.

"Thanks, Johnny. You really are a sweetheart.", I said with a smile but he then blushed more and started to laugh nervously. Johnny never confessed to me but I knew he liked me and I understand his feelings so very much. One-sided love is the worst! I'm living through it right now. I hate it! I gave the money for the pizza but Johnny continued to chat more and more. I had to cut him, my stomach alarmed.

"Um, I'm sorry Johnny. You know... I would like to stay and chat more but I'm super hungry and tired so… If you don't mind…", he was disappointed, I could see that on his face.

"Ah, sorry, I went too far and got caught up by the conversation. Yosaku is waiting for me in the car, probably pissed off right now. We have more deliveries to finish. Bye now!", he rushed that whole speech like he did on the stairs. Poor guy… But, I couldn't bring myself any more worries and problems. No, thank you, I'm already in a huge mess.

"They air a romantic movie, this late at night? Sure, why not. Let's watch it.", I said to myself, sitting on the sofa, mouth full of the delicious pizza carrying bottles of water in my other hand. I watched the movie fully focused, not missing a thing. I totally forgot about the _moss-head_ problem. I didn't want to think about him, in the first place. Film ended, leaving me in tears with empty pizza box and empty water bottles.

"Ah, I haven't watched something so good in a while. That was perfect.", I said wiping off the rest of the tears, "If only this could happen in real life… Reality sucks!", I said marching to the door, to pick up those things I left on the floor earlier. I then went back to my room, which was connected to the living room with just the door. I was still in my business clothes from work today and all I needed was a nice shower. My bathroom was in the continuation of my bedroom so I just slipped my clothes off and went to a nice and warm shower. Hot water was relaxing my tired and painful muscles and I just let it shower me, leaning on the wall. That shower was a need, after such a hard day.

"Ah, that shower felt so great.", I said leaving the bathroom with just the towel around me, wiping my hair. I was preparing myself for bed, slipping on my short summer night gown. It's so great tomorrow's weekend because I really need a break from all that work. Although I brought some paperwork to finish for Monday, I'll still rest a little. Damn that Nami! She could give something to Vivi, my co-worker and her secretary, but no!

_"She already has her stuff to do",_ Nami said.

'_It's like I don't have my stuff, too!_', I frowned, thinking about it. As I brushed my teeth, I took the papers from my briefcase that was on the chair and looked through them.

"Fuck it all!", I said and threw those papers all over the desk. I decided to take a break, so it was already enough of paper-work for today. I went back to the bathroom, spit out the rest of the toothpaste now mixed with the saliva, cleaned my mouth and fixed my hair in a messy bun. I was ready to go to sleep but I couldn't, so I was just lying on the bed, looking at the ceiling. On my cell phone, it was already past 2AM and as soon as I threw back the phone under my pillow, someone knocked on the front door.

"Who can this be? It's already this late…", I said to myself putting my fluffy slippers and a bathrobe on. Turning on the light in the hallway, through the peephole I checked who it was and saw a familiar face_. _

_'But, what is he doing here at this hour? When did he…?',_ I questioned myself and opened the door slightly.

"Hey. I need your help.", he said, as I peeked a little.

_'No 'hello' huh? As expected…',_ I sighed and fully opened the door, letting him come in.

"At this hour?! Are you insane or what?! What do you want, Zoro?", I said coldly as he closed the door.

Yeah, his name was Zoro, Roronoa Zoro to be exact. He worked in a department one floor below mine. That was a guy I couldn't stop thinking of, even now. This was the green _moss-head_, the handsome man who annoyed me and took over my thoughts.

"I lost those meeting papers Nami gave us. Can you lend me yours? Just to copy them and I'll be giving them back.", he said following me to my room.

"It's this late and you need those freaking papers now?! You're crazy! You could've asked for them tomorrow.", I was really annoyed now. But, Zoro didn't say anything. Not even "_Sorry for the trouble_" or "_Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry_". No, Zoro doesn't like to apologize, not even for a single simple thing like this. He wants something and that's it! And if he wants it he'll get it.

I turned the desk lamp light on and looked through those shattered papers. I began to feel nervous, I knew he was right there behind me and I just didn't want to see his face, his handsome, manly face that drove me crazy. I was mad at that face. Mad at it for letting other women, like my other co-worker Nico Robin, fall for it. She was the head chief of our department and constantly followed Zoro whenever she had a chance for it. I just wanted to chop her head off every time she spoke to him. But comparing to her, I was losing. I was stupid, not letting my feelings out when there was time. I was stupid not confessing to him already, so I lost to the head chief. Now I'm stuck here, in this stupid one-sided love.

_'I'll just go like that forever! I'm hopeless…',_ I sighed sorting the meeting papers.

"Here! You'll thank me later.", I bumped the papers on his chest looking down at my slippers. He checked the papers so slowly it annoyed me. Now, I just wanted Zoro to leave. I didn't want to look at him or be with him, 'cause now I'm just remembering him and Robin together, buzzing all over the company like two busy bees in love.

"Everything's there! Can you, please, hurry it up and leave?! I want to get some rest!", I almost yelled at him, meeting with his eyes and that was the thing I didn't want to. Those black, piercing, cold eyes were staring at mine and it looked like he can read my soul out. I quickly turned my head. Those cold eyes looked like that all the time, like Zoro didn't have any emotions. I couldn't stand them, him and his glare. I moved away from the desk, leaving Zoro alone in the room. I went to the fridge for another bottle of water.

'_Why am I so stupid?! I'm acting like I really hate him, yelling like that and all. Stupid!_', I thought hitting myself with the sweaty cold bottle.

"Thanks for this.", said Zoro finally, coming out of my room and walking past me to the hallway. He went to the door, putting his shoes back on. I leaned on the hallway wall, standing behind Zoro. I drank the cold water, still looking at him as he was tying up his shoes.

"Geez, you're hopeless. One day, you're gonna lose your head, you know. First the car keys, then the cell-phone and now – meeting papers. Seriously Zoro?", I said. Zoro stood up and turned around with a smirk on his face.

"But then, I would always have you to watch the stuff for me. Remember? It was YOU who found my keys and cell. I can always count on you, [y/n].", he said and winked. I sensed my face turning red so I turned my head away quickly.

_'Z-Zoro actually… WINKED! At me! He also called me by my name! What?!'_

"Do-Do you need anything else, l-lost boy?", I tried to stay calm as much as possible but he read me like a book so I heard him chuckle a little. That little laugh took my attention so I turned my head back to him. Zoro formed a wonderful and kind of a cute face.

"Yeah… Do you maybe have some beer?", he asked so bluntly and freely.

He _knew_ I had beer. I buy it only for him. He never buys it himself and we are neighbors, we live next to each other. I bought this apartment when I moved to this city, after I got the job. Only then, I found out that Zoro's my co-worker AND a neighbor. Talk about luck and coincidence, huh? As he says: _"Beer just tastes so good at your place. That's why I don't buy it.",_or something like that. That was the worse excuse I've ever heard but I already got used to it and now, Zoro always comes to drink in my apartment.

We both went to the living room. Zoro helped himself out with a beer and brought me one, too. Although I don't like drinking, it was different and beer actually tasted nice while drinking with Zoro. He sat a little further away from me on the sofa and relaxed with a long sigh. He was already acting like this was his house. He took off his tie and just drank the soul out of that beer. I watched him in amazement, like a little high school girl watching her first crush, but quickly after began to drink my own beer.

"So, you were on a trip. How was it? Robin went with you, right?", I said after a couple of sips. Zoro let out a sigh after huge gulp of beer and just looked at the ceiling.

"Mm, yeah, she did. You know… it was business. It was really nothing special.", Zoro sucked at describing and explaining things but every time I ask him about Robin, he would just say a couple of words and end it. Does that mean I still have a chance with him?

"When did you get back? You didn't come to work.", I asked again with another small sip of beer.

"I came back just this morning. It was all night travel so I could barely wait to sleep on my own bed instead of the car."

"Did you have any rest?"

"Yeah... I woke up around 8PM, went to a gym a little, did some papers and now I'm here. I came to your place after I saw the meeting papers weren't among all the others. I was also prepared to call you if you wouldn't answer the door.", he smirked a little and grabbed the next bottle of beer. I didn't have any more questions for him, I just drank my beer slowly and he was finishing the second bottle already. The silence was taking over. I hate when it comes but having silence in Zoro's presence was ever worse! I played with my fingers around the bottle while he was enjoying his drink.

"Last time, you promised you'll buy some beer and here you are again, drinking at my place.", I said calmly. Zoro took the last gulp and laid down the bottle.

"Okay, okay, I'll buy it. Jeez… You always nag about that."

"I wouldn't nag if you actually do what you say you would. Next time buy the stinking beer and then come to drink.", I almost yelled. Zoro often keeps his promises but he just drives me nuts with this. He always says "_I'll buy it_" and then asks if I have the beer.

_'Such a simple minded thing and he still can't remember to do it! Idiot!'_

I finished my bottle and looked at him. Zoro was relaxed, sitting with his head tilted backwards, his arms resting on the back of the sofa. He looked so handsome, so attractive, so… PERFECT! But I didn't have the guts to lay my feelings in front of him, it was just impossible!

"Zoro?", I called for him, making sure he's not asleep already. He lifted his head with an "_Hmm_?" and looked at me, "You know, you're free to come next time for a drink, too. Anytime, okay?", I said, finally looking at him. Now, Zoro had a warm and nice smile on. Mixture of hallway's light and the moonlight that came through the window was on his face, making the smile warmer and more beautiful.

"Heh, sure, don't worry. I'll surely bring the beer next time.", he said with a nice, calm tone in his voice. Zoro stood up and I followed. He again went to the door, put his shoes back on, took those papers and turned to me again. I stood in there like I was expecting him to shoot some silly or even insulting words at me, as he often did that.

"Let me get this straight… First you scold me about the beer and now you're calling me over again. That's odd. But it doesn't matter… I'll come for a drink whenever you want me to.", he winked again. I was slowly starting to feel the beautiful warmth inside my stomach. Zoro turned away, grabbed a doorknob but turned back to me again. "Oh, yeah, so you know… that little night gown looks good on ya. 'Night!", he said and shut the door behind him.

After realizing what happened I looked at myself in the hallway mirror. The bathrobe was open, revealing my short baby blue night gown. I quickly wrapped the bathrobe around me in embarrassment. But then I stopped.

_'I can't believe my ears! Zoro… praised me…? What?',_ I thought and after a few moments in silent I began to _fangirl_ like mad. I ran over to the sofa and hugged the pillow so hard that I think it would die if it was alive, '_I never heard him praising Robin… or anybody. So… me? He even winked… twice!_', I did it again – I screamed into the pillow and hit the mattress with my legs. I was acting like a little crazy girl but I was truly so happy right now.

"Umm… Are you okay?", that froze me. There, on the entrance of the apartment stood Zoro, having a weird look on his face. I sat on quickly, blushing red like a rose. I couldn't say a thing, "I knocked... I-I forgot my tie on the sofa…", he said pointing to me. I turned my head and the tie was right there, on the armrest. I was red, I'm sure of that. I couldn't look at him and just buried my mouth into that poor little pillow. Temperature in me was rising as Zoro was taking that tie. He was so close so I dig my nails into the pillow harder. Zoro took back his tie and stood in the hallway for a few moments more, "I'll be going now. I'm leaving you with your... girly stuff and behavior. 'night now.", he said and rushed out. I fell back on the pillow.

"Nooooooooo! What have I done! Idiot! Moron! Stupid! I'm a huge idiot!", I screamed into the pillow, my inner self dying at that point. After I got praised I did such a stupid thing! He saw me go crazy. He saw me acting like a crazy kid. Always-so-busy, handsome workaholic Zoro won't like me now even more. Tears were leaving my eyes. I was regretting it all. The pain in my chest was building. All my chances to be with Zoro and make him like me just dropped dead. He will hang out with Robin even more now. He might not even look at me.

After I calmed down, I went to the door and locked it. I turned all the lights off and went to sleep, both sad and tired, wiping off the last of my tears.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

_Sry it took me so long to update, I was reeeeally busy and I finally graduated collage! yay! Okay, now to get serious..._

_this is a second chapter of the story. I wanted to tell so much and I'm sorry it's so long. Some weird inspiration came to me and I wrote over 5 pages in one day, lol._

_**Note**: the cars they are driving are picked according to Oda's listing "where the characters would live in RL". I used google to search for the cars but I know something of the countries they are from ^^_

_have fun reading~_

**_Summary from the previous c_**_**hapter**: Zoro came over to borrow some papers for the work and stayed for a drink. You enjoyed his company and got carried away. On his way out, Zoro compliment your short girly night gown that was showing with your bathrobe open. You then fangirled on your bed so hard like a little girl but got caught when Zoro came back for his tie he left on the sofa. That was one hard embarrassment for you, that Friday night._

* * *

Saturday morning was just horrible. I didn't want to wake up after what happened last night. I didn't want to face Zoro anymore. I didn't even want to think about him so in that case I stayed indoors for the whole weekend. All I did was eat, sleep, order more food and do work papers whole Sunday afternoon. Overall, I didn't have any rest. I was too concerned about seeing Zoro and I stayed inside just to avoid him so I forgot to relax. Tired like that, I entered the new week, new Monday but the same old Nami who will boss me around didn't change.

…

It was already near 7:50AM when I walked to the company and just as I turned to the entrance, black sporty _Nissan GTR_ howled passing behind me and entering the company parking. I just sighed, shook my head and walked in the building.

'_He's_ _such a show off… that bastard!_', I thought and tried to stay calm.

"Still riding the train, huh?", the all-so-familiar voice came behind me as I checked my business card at the reception. I turned around to look at him. Zoro was right there, standing behind me, spinning his mighty _Nissan_ car keys around his index finger. I already forgot about the Friday embarrassment and the thing that occupied my mind at the moment was just anger. I took a deep breath to calm myself. Zoro was just so annoying that I wanted to chop his head off. That was how much he pissed me off at that moment.

"Yes I am, so what?! What about you? Still using GPS to come here?", I raised an eyebrow with a small smirk at him. Zoro took a little step back followed with a quiet growl that only I could hear. He checked his own card and I just continued my way to the elevator, not minding the green idiot.

"Well, at least I have my own car", he said with voice full of pride, "while you still ride the public train with all those smelly old people.", Zoro caught up my pace and now walked in front of me.

"Hmph! Well, screw you and your fancy car. I love trains.", I quickened my walk so that we were literally racing to the elevator like a couple of little kids. We both reached to press the "_up_" button but I slapped Zoro's hand and took the victory.

"Good morning, [y/n]-san, Zoro-san.", said Vivi, my younger co-worker. She was behind, greeting us so happily but we were too busy growling at each other that neither looked at the poor girl but just responded with one quick " _'morning_!", at the same time. As the elevator came we marched in, leaving poor Vivi frightened in front of us.

The whole ride was silent. I stood next to Zoro and just looked at the floor numbers passing. He got off first but his walk seemed more like he marched out. When the door closed behind him, I finally relaxed. I leaned to the wall wall behind me and let my head fall.

'_Why are we like this?! Do we really need to fight over such small, relevant thing? Can this, please, stop? I don't wish for this! Yet, why am I doing it? Why does every Zoro's sentence annoy me? Make it stop…'_

"Are you okay, [y/n]-san?", asked Vivi. I looked at her worrying face and somehow forced a smile.

"Mah, don't worry. It's all fine.", I stood up from the wall.

"Lately, you and Zoro-san…", she tried to continue with an insecure voice.

"Hehe, like I said, it's nothing to worry about. We argue sometimes but that's just it. He just annoys me from time to time and I have to respond. To be honest, we don't talk or spend much time together, so this is just perfect. Like an exercise.", I tried to widen my grin but inside, I was really sad that this was going on. All those fights with him are starting to make me sick and making bigger distance between the two of us.

The door of the elevator finally opened and my smile faded little by little. On the other side was standing Robin, my department boss aka the head chief. I seriously didn't want to see her now. I didn't want to start my working day by seeing her first. Our eyes met and I immediately turned my head away.

"Good morning, Robin-san.", Vivi greeted her with a cheerful tone, as she always does that. Pause in Robin's response meant that she still glared at me; I could feel the cold stare upon me.

"Good morning, Vivi-chan.", replied Robin with a similar happy tone, shifting the glace from me to Vivi. I just nodded and passed them, rushing to my desk. I didn't want to have anything with Robin this early in the morning. I hit my briefcase on the desk and sat down, totally annoyed. It was bad enough I fought with Zoro the first thing I came here but Robin was the last drop.

'_She's at it again! She probably saw and heard his car coming. She's doing it again! Damn it!_', I buried my face harder into my palms as I heard the elevator ring and the door closing.

As expected, number 3 was blinking above the elevator door. That was Zoro's floor. I knew it! She couldn't help herself! She couldn't stay put just one day! One day without flirting! No! She does that every day and yet, no one pays attention to it. No one minds her. Everybody is just doing their work, not noticing how persistent and annoying Robin is to Zoro. Or maybe, everybody knows yet they're okay with it? No one cares, no one but me. I was beginning to feel desperate. I was starting to feel the loss. I was aware I was losing to Robin. How wouldn't I? My relationship with Zoro is nothing compared to hers! Our relationship is based just on hatred, conflicts, yelling and overall negative emotions. And then there is Robin, with bugging and flirting but at least she expresses love while I yell at him, getting caught by his every little argument.

"[y/n]! You're finally here! Where are the papers that I gave you? Are they finished?", Nami snapped in front of me. I lifted my head to her. All so bossy chief of the financial department was just adding more salt to my wound. I seriously need to relax from all of this.

'_What is that? No "good morning, how are you?" or "did you have and trouble with the work?" ? There's seriously nothing? This day is getting more and more crappy!',_ I thought giving her the sheets of papers I did all Sunday afternoon.

At work, Nami was always like this. She bosses around and her phrase is like Donald Trump's: "_Time is money_!". That was all she cared about: work and money. After all, her previous job was in a bank where she was also in the top positions with other chiefs.

'_Oh, no! My meeting papers!',_ I thought rustling all over my desk and brief case, _'There was a work schedule on one of them. And just now, when I need them… the papers are still with Zoro.',_ I stood up and took a deep breath while approaching the elevator door. I had to face that guy again.

I was about to enter the elevator when it opened and Robin was there, holding onto Zoro's arm but quickly released him as she saw me. They both stepped out and I took a step back. In my eyes, comparing to them, I was tiny. Somehow, I was ashamed and had nothing to say. Zoro and Robin had both a serious look on their faces.

"I was just…", I started but Zoro cut me handing over some papers to me.

"Here! Those are your meeting papers I borrowed. You weren't coming out of your apartment nor did you answer your phone so I couldn't give them to you earlier. I copied them. Thanks again.", he said, a little smile forming on his lips. I was amazed how Zoro could smile so naturally and lovely. Robin caught him by the sleeve so Zoro had to turn his head to her.

"You could've borrowed my meeting papers.", she almost whined her words. Zoro on the other hand didn't matter her arm around his, he just stayed cool there.

"We were on a business trip so you couldn't give me the papers even if I asked for. You didn't have them with you.", Zoro said, not changing the cold tone in his voice even a bit. Robin let go of his arm and back off a little, fully ashamed. This was the Zoro I knew, Zoro that looked like he didn't have any emotion inside him. I kind of felt sorry for the woman but on the other side I was happy that Zoro was like that.

"So, what did you want to show me?", asked Zoro and Robin became happy again. She once again clang onto his arm and dragged him to her desk. Without a word to me, he left with her. I was depressed, once again. I looked at those papers remembering, once again, Friday night's drinking. I felt really close to Zoro then, and now other woman was taking him and snuggling to him... and I actually thought they look good as a couple.

"[y/n]! What are you doing here, dozing off like that?! Don't you have any work to do? Hurry back to your desk!", Nami yelled at me and everybody else saw that. I quickly ran off and properly started my working day.

…

"Hey, [y/n], cut the work! It's lunch break already!", suddenly, a man's voice came to me. I blinked and looked up from the computer screen. On the computer monitor, leaning and smiling, was Ace, tall and handsome, black-haired man who was also my co-worker at the department. I looked at him with confusion. Ace was still smiling happily.

"Ace?", part of me was still recovering from the sudden disturbance. Just now, I was lost in numbers and all the information but Ace "_rescued_" me.

"You need a serious break, girl! You were staring at that screen, typing for hours. Don't you get tired from that?", he asked with worry in his tone, his smile fading. I leaned back on my chair and took off my glasses.

"Well, I guess time really flies when you're busy. I didn't even realize what time it is.", I smiled and Ace nodded.

"Yeah, I can see that.", Ace said backing off, "Anyways, I went down to Luffy's and Sanji-san asked for you.", I was surprised at his words.

"Sanji?", I asked.

"Yeah. He told me to call you to go downstairs to his floor immediately."

"Immediately? Sanji asked for me? Did he say why?", I stood up.

"Nope. Just _'Please, tell [y/n]-san to come here as soon as you see her'_, something like that.", said Ace, imitating Sanji, which made me giggle. Nami cut our laughter as she called Ace.

"Oh, gotta run! Say '_Hi_' to Sanji-san for me! See ya later!", he ran off. I quickly fixed my hair, took my purse and business notebook and went to the elevator, pressing "_down_" button to go to Sanji's floor.

"Going on a lunch break?", came the voice behind me. It was Nami, carrying a huge stack of papers. She had a warm smile on her face.

"Yeah, but before that I need to meet up with Sanji. Ace told me he asked for me to come down. I didn't realize it was already this hour until Ace came to me. I have so much work to do…", I sighed but Nami had twice as much work than me.

"I know what you mean. The papers just won't get off of me. But somehow, I enjoy this job.", she smiled again. Outside of work, Nami was a really cheerful and happy person. We could talk really nicely and I enjoyed being with her. We stepped into the elevator and selected a wanted number of the floor. I looked at that papers all gathered in her arms.

"When are you gonna go on a break?", I asked. Nami giggled a little at my question.

"There's no break for me until I finish this. I still need to copy these and arrange by date. I can't take any break until then.", she looked so sad. Nami was pushing herself too hard.

"Promise me that you'll go on a break after that!", I looked at her with a serious glare. She was surprised but smiled right after.

"Okay, I'll take a break. Don't worry.", she was Nami again, that sweet and cheerful Nami. I nodded and went out. I waved to her as the door closed saying "_rest a little_" with a quiet voice.

I turned around to see the busy department: phones ringing and people rushing all over. The whole company was like that. In that moment, Zoro was passing by.

"What are _you_ doing here?", he stopped in front of me. His glare was cold, as ever.

"What? I can't be here? I work at this company too, you know. And besides, I came here because I was needed.", I responded calmly. My anger was starting to build but I controlled it somehow. I can't afford any more fighting with Zoro. We just have to stop with that.

"Who will ever pester himself with you? Ah, I don't need to know, I'm too busy to be dealing with you!", Zoro just shook his head and continued his way.

"[y/n]-san! You're here!", came the voice, not so far away from me. It was Sanji, the blond tall man that worked on the same department floor as Zoro. People called him a womanizer but he was actually so sweet and gentle with women and never hurt one in his life.

"Hi, Sanji. Say, what did you need me for? Is it some analysis? Or some specific information about…?", he cut me waving his hand and shaking his head in "_no_" response. Then he smiled really sweet and took the business notebook from my hands.

"What I need is to see you relaxed. We're going on a lunch break.", said Sanji, still smiling. That smile made me smile too. Sanji was really generous, "Will you go on a lunch break with me?", he asked and I happily nodded.

"Ah, and I actually thought someone great will bother with you, but it's just the _eyebrows_.", said Zoro passing. My concentration failed me and I snapped.

"Zoro, seriously, you're acting like a bastard. Sanji is your colleague and you're so freely insulting him!", I yelled.

"Well, doesn't this make you a bastard too, for insulting me like that?", he kept his cold tone.

"Oi, _moss-head_!", Sanji yelled, ready to fight Zoro. I stopped him with a hand. Zoro saw that move.

"Hmph, never mind... Likes of you will never change. I don't have the time to waste with you two air-heads. I have work to do.", Zoro turned around and walked off, like nothing happened.

"What do you mean '_likes of you_'? Oi! Answer me, idiot!", Sanji was yelling after him but Zoro never turned. I just stared at my feet. I couldn't recognize my emotions. Was I sad? Or was I angry? Zoro is behaving really rude to me and I certainly don't like it. It bothers me so much and I only want that to stop!

"Sanji, can we just go? … Please?", with those words Sanji calmed down. I somehow smiled at him. I just wanted to leave this place… and fast.

"Yes, of course. But that idiot will pay for what he said to you. I'll beat him up.", he was still growling through his teeth. We both stepped in the elevator and rode to the company parking lot where Sanji parked his car. He clicked his car keys to unlock the new, shiny blue, kind of sporty, _Renault Megane_. Sanji opened the door for me and we rode out of the parking to the town.

"We're going to a very nice bakery. I hope you'll love it. My Gramps buys bread for our restaurant there. They are very good people and awesome bakers. They have all sorts of pastries, breads, you name it!", Sanji was really excited.

"Great! I can't wait to try some.", I said, trying to sound excited too but clearly failed. A little pause was held before Sanji cut it with serious tone.

"[y/n]-san, I know you're depressed about Zoro, but I assure you, he'll pay for insulting you. I won't forgive him. He just crossed the line. And you can't say '_It's nothing'_ when I see you're hurt and sad about that.", I didn't know what to say after this. Sanji was right, I was hurt. Zoro hurt me. I was disappointed but, somehow, I couldn't bring myself to hate Zoro. I still like him. Why?

Sanji and I stayed silent until we reached the bakery. The people there were really pleasant so I couldn't stay gloomy any more. Sanji was cheering me up with jokes and stories so that I had to smile and laugh. We were chatting, laughing and quickly forgot about Zoro. Also, chatting made lunch break time fly so we had to hurry back to the company. Bakers greeted us out and gave me they bakery's keychain as a souvenir, telling me to come and visit them again.

"Those were some nice people", I said as we were riding back to the company.

"Yeah, I buy breakfast every morning there. I love their food. We should go there again.", Sanji smiled too and I nodded.

As we came back to the company, we ran into Zoro on the reception but none of us minded him. Sanji and I were still laughing and talking, waiting for the elevator.

"Like I said, we should totally go there again. It's one awesome store.", Sanji said.

"Yeah, tomorrow for sure.", I smiled.

"Then it's a deal.", he said and we entered the elevator. Zoro entered right after us. He stood in front of us, being all calm and not saying a word, "So, [y/n]-san, are you free tonight?", asked Sanji so freely. The question froze me and my eyes immediately went up to Zoro. He was standing still, his back facing me.

"Yes, I think I won't get any extra work today so tonight will be free.", I said.

"Great! I'll convince Nami-san not to give you any papers, don't worry. Tonight… will you go out with me on a dinner?", he asked. I was a little worried and looked at Zoro's back again. He didn't move nor did he make any sound.

"I… I would gladly go on a dinner with you. It'll be my honor.", I said with a smile facing Sanji. We came to his and Zoro's floor and the door opened. Zoro marched out like a storm.

"Then, it's a date.", Sanji said and kissed my hand. I was really surprised when he did that and felt my cheeks going red a little. The door of the elevator was closing behind Sanji but I quickly got a glance of Zoro turning his head towards me, his face filled with anger. I stood alone in the elevator box, confused, riding one more floor to my department.

…

I finally came back home after the day filled with work. Sanji, as he said, convinced Nami and I was free from extra work. After a relaxing shower came the dress-up. It was already time for a date with Sanji.

"He'll probably come in a suit… so I need something fancy, too.", I said to myself while searching for the right outfit. I found a lovely blue dress with thin straps and cute little heels that matched. I was ready. The make-up was done just in time Sanji rang the doorbell. I opened the door and Sanji was there, smiling with a cute bouquet of white roses in his hands.

"This is for you [y/n]-san.", he said.

"Thank you, Sanji. These are really beautiful.", I said and smelled the flowers.

"You're beautiful too, [y/n]-san. That dress is astonishing.", he complimented me. I certainly blushed and tried to cover my face with beautiful flowers.

"Ah, please come in, Sanji. I just need to put these in the vase and take my purse. Please wait for me inside.", I said and rushed to the kitchen. Sanji followed slowly.

"This is the first time I come to your apartment, [y/n]-san. It looks really lovely.", Sanji said looking around the living room.

"Hehe, thank you... I try to keep it tidy as possible with all this work in the company. I'm barely at home. Oh, that reminded me!", I said and placed the vase with roses on the living room table, "Sanji, you should totally come over sometimes. It'll be great and we would hang out.", I continued with a smile.

"That is a nice idea but I don't want to disturb or anyt—"

"What are you saying? I would love for you to come over. Promise me you will!", I whined and Sanji had to agree. That made me happy. I really forgot about Zoro and arguing with him and instead, I had a great time with Sanji.

We went to a lovely restaurant for a quiet dinner that really relaxed me. We were chatting normally and had a blast of a time. The date was really perfect. Sanji was a great friend.

…

I came back home around midnight. Date was perfection and I really had a great time. I was happily humming as I left the elevator and searched for the apartment keys in my purse. I was unlocking the door just when Zoro came from the stairs.

"Oh, Zoro, why are you up at this time?", I asked. He was covered in sweat and panting heavily.

"I couldn't sleep so I went on a jog. What about you? Did you had a great time with that guy?", he asked wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"_That guy_ has a name, you know. He's Sanji. And yes, I had a great time. The date was wonderful, we had a lovely dinner and a walk in the park after that.", I said with a happy and satisfying tone in my voice.

"You're dressed up for him? Pfff, I can just imagine... You two probably looked like clowns.", he said unlocking his door. There was it – an insult. But I had to control myself. It's not worth it! I must stop fighting with Zoro!

"Say what you want, we were both so elegant and nicely dressed. Good night now.", I said entering my apartment. I shut the door and leaned on it. I let out a heavy sigh.

'_How can we make it better? How can a relationship between Zoro and me become better? I don't want any more insults. I don't want any more arguing. I want only peace. I want to have a normal conversation with him. I want to talk to him! I want to laugh with him! I WANT TO BE WITH HIM!'_, I closed my eyes and hit my fist in the door behind me.

I once again took a shower and lay on the bed, ready to fall asleep. The quiet atmosphere was broken by the doorbell. I growled putting on my slippers and a bathrobe. I opened the door just to see Zoro, holding two bottles of beer in his hand. I showed him to come in. Zoro again acted like it was his apartment and sat on a sofa with a relaxing sigh.

"What is it? You need a drinking company? Well, count me out, I can't drink now. I'm tired and sleepy so hurry it up. Drink those and leave. I need to sleep, I have work tomorrow.", I said, really grumpy.

"I have work tomorrow, too. So, stop whining and sit here. I brought beer, like you said last time, and you won't drink it? That's rude. Oh, and nice roses.", he said as I threw him a bottle opener.

"Thanks, Sanji brought them. But… What rude is you coming here in this hour. Can't you understand I'm tired?", I said and lazy walked to him. I sat far away, on the other side of the sofa. Zoro smirked and drank his beer.

"You sure you don't want a drink?", he asked. I wrapped the bathrobe around me tightly, like a blanket and crawled in the corner of the sofa.

"I'm sure! Just drink it!", I yelled at him. Zoro drank so relaxed and slowly that my eyelids were shutting on their own. I tried to stay awake until Zoro finishes his beer but I just couldn't. The last thing I remember is Zoro, of course, relaxed on my sofa, drinking beer. I fell asleep.

…

The thing that woke me up was my alarm clock, ringing so loudly on the scheduled time for work. I woke up on a soft pillow, covered by blanket, in my bed. I lazily slammed the clock to shut it and turn my head towards the ceiling. I surely remember falling asleep in the living room while Zoro was drinking and I still had my bathrobe on. That means…

'_Zoro…'_, I thought covering my face with my palm, '_He… carried me to bed?_', I blushed but remembered the time and quickly rushed out of my bed.

After I stood up from the bed, everything went on the daily basis: morning shower, quick breakfast, dress up for work, to the train station, taking the train to work, all day work and bossy Nami, lunch break with Sanji, more work and finally coming back home. Zoro didn't mention anything to me, nor did we talk that day. Again, I was feeling that distance between us and it grew more and more, day after day.

Summer was coming and the whole company got really busy. Zoro stopped coming over for a drink and I was starting to feel sad and lonely at nights. The only cheerful thing that kept me smiling was Sanji, his talk, his jokes and dates that he threw at me. We took several more dates but that too started to fade as we were both so busy with our jobs. Time was passing, we were busy and work was taking all out of us. However, there were those days when we had less work than usual and we could relax. On those rare days, mostly at night, we would hang out. Friends from the company would all gather and we would go out to some club or just hang out at someone's home. All those parties would lack Zoro. He was always invited but never came. His excuse would be: "_I am too busy. I can't goof around and party. Go on without me._". As for Sanji: he came to my apartment more often, always bringing me small bouquets of roses, and I also went to his. He once brought me to his restaurant where he often worked alongside his Gramps. We were preparing food, playing games, watching movies, talking and laughing. He would cook me some delicious food, bake cookies and other sweets and also teach me some of his cooking. It was fun. And every time after Sanji leaves my apartment, Zoro would come and insult him in front of me, yell at me and we would fight and argue again, even though I said I would stop with that. In the end, I would throw him out and stay sad and alone.

It was already the beginning of the sixth month and the heat was starting to rise like our work at the company. The only free days were on the weekend and so Sanji invited me again to another date.

"Let's just relax a little and forget about all the work we have. How about a walk?", he said when he came to my apartment. Sanji was dressed casually every time he came to visit and so was this time, bringing me white roses again. I put them in the vase I picked just for them and placed it on the living room table.

"Wow, sounds great! That means I don't have to plan any dress or something, I can just wear anything. Okay, just let me put on some light make-up and I'll be right with you.", I said and rushed to my bedroom while Sanji waited for me in the living room.

"Where are we going on a walk?!", I shouted from the bedroom.

"We can just walk around the neighborhood and in the nearby park, if that's okay!", Sanji shouted back. I finished by adding some lip balm.

"Yup, that's great. Let's go right away.", I said leaving my room and taking the apartment keys from the counter, "I heard there would be rain tonight so we must hurry."

We took a walk to the park and just chatted all along. Sanji bought some ice-cream from the stand in the park as our refreshment. The night was really pleasant, calm and warm. We went to the highest spot in the park where was a platform from where people can enjoy the sunset that was beautifully glittering on the river. It was already dusk when we arrived to the platform.

"These days just pass so quickly when we work all day long.", said Sanji leaning to the fence.

"It can't be helped. Summer season is beginning. There's always so much work at this time of the year.", I added. For the rest of the time, we quietly watched the Sun set above the river.

"Every time I see it, it amazes me. The sunset from this place is just wonderful. Amazing…", Sanji sighed happily as the Sun finally set and night fell on the town, "Shall we have one more walk around and end the date?", he asked.

"Let's do so. It was a really wonderful night. I think that rain won't fall after all.", I smiled and took off with Sanji for another walk around.

"[y/n]-san, I notice you fight less with that green idiot. Are things alright at your apartment? Does he pester you?", Sanji asked as we walked past the fountain.

"Haha, don't worry, he doesn't bug me at all. He works all day and we barely see each other. I barely have any contacts with him. And you know what? I actually feel relaxed and at ease, because we're not fighting and yelling at each other.", I smiled. That made Sanji smile back. He was happy to hear that Zoro is not so much in my life as he was before. But, for me, it was a loss. I was sad. I wanted to be with Zoro. Even those silly argues meant something to me. At least, we talked. Now I barely see him.

The thunder struck so suddenly and rain started to pour out of nowhere.

"Ah, crap! We're on open!", Sanji shouted. He took me by the hand and we ran under the nearby tree, "This won't work, the rain is hard.", he finished and my sneeze followed, "This is bad, we can't stay here."

"That's it! We can go to my place. Yes, we would be soaked but at least we would have shelter and a shower. And it's not far away from here. We can run.", I suggested.

"That could work. But… the rain is so hard.", Sanji worried.

"No problem. It won't melt us.", I winked, took Sanji's hand, which made him blush a little, "Are you ready? On the count of three: 1, 2, … 3! Let's go!", and so we ran through the park, across the street and on the sidewalk, on the way to my building. We were running as fast as we could. In the first I was pulling Sanji's hand but then we switched as Sanji sped up and pulled me. Hard rain made my vision blur but I was glad Sanji was holding my hand and navigating me to him. His grip made me feel secured and safe despite all the thunders and lightnings above us.

We finally reached my building. We stopped and panted hard, soaking wet, water dripping from our clothes and hair.

"We made it!", I said and gave Sanji a _high-five_, "Now, we better go and dry ourselves.", I said entering the building.

"Are you sure I can come in your apartment, wet like this?", Sanji asked.

"Sanji, sometimes you ask weird questions. Of course you can come. I'll give you a towel and a hair dryer to dry yourself. You can't go home like that. Now, come in.", I said opening the door to him. We rode the elevator joking around how silly we look all soaked and wet. Sanji was a really pleasant companion. I am glad we're such great friends. As we left the elevator, old lady Ishikawa, my neighbor, was on the hallway, watering the plants.

"Oh, it's you, [y/n]-chan. You're all wet! What were you doing outside on this rain?", she worried.

"Hello, Ishikawa-san. I was on a date with a friend. Lady Ishikawa, this is Sanji, my co-worker. Sanji, this is Ishikawa-san, my neighbor.", I introduced them.

"It's a pleasure, Madam.", Sanji greeted her by kissing her hand and kneeling. Granny blushed like a little girl.

"Ohoo, this is so wonderful. It's nice to meet you too, Sanji-kun. I-I'm stunned. [y/n]-chan, this one is a keeper.", she winked at me.

"Hahaha, Sanji is just a friend. We must go to dry ourselves. Come on, Sanji, let's go. B-Bye, Ishikawa-san.", I blushed pulling Sanji by the sleeve. Old granny smirked at me humming happily as I dragged Sanji to my apartment.

"She is a nice lady.", said Sanji as we entered. I turned on the lights immediately. Lightning was still striking all over.

"Ah, don't worry about her. And forget what she said, she's just an old granny. She likes to get in my way a lot and doesn't mind her own business.", I said taking off my sandals. I ran over to the bathroom and gave Sanji a clean towel, "If you don't mind, I'll go and take a shower first. I'm really starting to feel the cold. I'll make it quick so that you can go too.", I said wiping my hair.

"It's just fine. Go on. And this towel is really fine, I don't need—"

"Shut up. This is my house and you'll do as I say. Just wait a bit. I'll be right back!", again, I rushed to the bathroom and took a nice and warm shower. My clothes were soaking on the bathroom floor so I put them in the plastic washbowl. I showered as fast as I could. The nice and fuzzy bathrobe awaited me. I felt clean, fresh and warm after the shower. Sanji was still standing by the sofa, in the same spot he was when I left.

"Okay, I'm done. It's your turn now. I prepared a spare bathrobe for you so feel free to use it.", I said brushing my hair.

"[y/n]-san, you really didn't need to. This is really—"

"I don't want to hear it! Now go! Go!", I commanded and Sanji finally went to the bathroom. I took some water from the fridge to refresh myself. Thunder struck again and gave me shivers. I opened the fridge to look for some food but was cut by a doorbell. I shut the fridge and marched to the door, annoyed that someone's disturbing me. I opened the door and saw Zoro. I was really shocked. After so long, he comes to my apartment.

"Can I come in?", he asked.

"It depends on what you want. What are you here for? Some work sheets? Analysis?", he only thinks about work so it must be some of that.

"No, I'm here to talk to you. This doesn't concern our job. Can I come in?", he asked again and I let him. Zoro took off his shoes but paused when he saw Sanji's sneakers. He didn't say anything and just continued to the living room.

"So, what do you want to talk about? I'm listening.", I said sitting on the sofa.

"He's here, isn't he? The blond womanizer.", he frowned at me after he saw flowers on the table in front.

"Sanji is not a womanizer! He is really nice to me, not like a certain someone. So don't call him like that. You just yell and insult me. Sanji takes me on a dates and treats me nicely.", I stood up but kept my distance from Zoro.

"Oh, spare me the romance. I don't want to hear it! You'll see it for yourself in the end, he is not good."

"Shut your mouth, Zoro! Like you know him! Look at you, you're yelling at me! When did you smiled at me last time, huh? When did you joke around with me? When did you treat me lunch? When were you last nice to me?", I was starting to fall apart. My eyes were slowly filling with tears. Zoro didn't say a thing, "Why did you even come here? Everything was going well until you came. Just get out! I don't want to hear your insults or your lectures about how Sanji is a bad guy. Apparently, you're the one who's bad for me. Now get out.", Zoro just stood there, clenching his fists.

"_Everything was going well_…? I see… you're defending him. And by the looks of it, you've already slept with him. I can't believe it. You brought yourself to such low level, to sleep with someone like him.", I couldn't believe my ears. Zoro continued to rant about it, "You… now you lost every respect in my eyes. You're nothing more than a trash of a woman now.", Zoro's words just shocked me.

"You bastard!", came Sanji's yelling voice. Sanji, just wearing his drenched pants, came running from my room. Lightning stuck and the power went off.

The next thing I knew it was Zoro, dropped on the floor and being hit by Sanji. The blood was spilled on the wooden floor and Sanji was kneeling above Zoro, beating him with fists, "You can say whatever you like about me," and punched Zoro again, "but you can never, ever, EVER insult a woman in front of me, do you understand that? Huh? Say it!", he just hit Zoro with pure rage in his eyes. Zoro's blood flied all over the floor, "You're gonna pay for what you've said. For all the insults you threw at [y/n]-san. You're gonna pay! She isn't someone you can insult the way you like! She is a woman! And I'm going to protect her! I won't allow you to say anything rude to her, ever again!", he punched him again. I couldn't move, I couldn't say anything. I just stood there and watched Zoro being punched. The storm from the outside shone on both of them the whole time. Sanji was really pissed off. I've never saw him like that. He was certainly different and dangerous. Zoro accepted all the punches until he took Sanji's punching hand and stopped it. They finally met eye to eye. Zoro's face was destroyed and all bloody.

"I can figure it out now.", Zoro spoke, "You two are both idiots. And I was a fool trying and worrying about you, [y/n].", he looked at me. I was scared. I never saw that look in his eyes. It was frightening.

"What kind of worry is an insult? Huh?", Sanji grabbed Zoro by the shirt but Zoro just shove him off and stood up, "Oi! I'm not done with you!", Sanji shouted and that's when Zoro punched him and sent him flying towards me. I caught him but Sanji just slid down on the floor. The vase on the table shook from the hit.

"We're done.", with that Zoro spit some more blood and left. One more thunder stroke and I fell on my knees next to Sanji.

"[y/n]-san…", Sanji said quietly.

"Sanji… I'm sorry but… can you… please leave?", I couldn't stand it anymore. This was just way too much for me. Tears were coming to my eyes.

"Of course.", said Sanji as he picked the rest of his clothes, "I'm sorry that you had to see that but please try to rest. Goodnight, [y/n]-san…", he said and closed the door behind him. I clenched my fists on my knees, tears streaming from my eyes, dripping on my hands.

'_What is happening? How did things get so bad? How did from 'bad' became 'worse'? Why is now my relationship with Zoro sinking deep like a Titanic? Why is everything destroyed now? Why?',_ I hit my head on the floor and just cried.

I was sobbing like never before. Everything is destroyed now. That little hope I had that I will someday be with Zoro is destroyed now. I'm left with nothing but despair, alone in a dark room

* * *

_To be continued..._


	3. Chapter 3

_Gyah! Sorry for being late with the update. I am so damn busy IRL that I'm glad I even wrote it. This chapter is a bit longer and I think I shouldn't write this much but I also wanted to explain so many things, so that took me a lot of words._

_**Notes**:_

_**-Ojamashimasu** - a common and polite saying in Japan when someone is entering someone else's home._

_**-Chevrolet Camaro** - google it for images, as I did it too._

_**-Washing machines in the basement of the building** - I only saw it in the movies and I don't know if they exist in the basements but here they do, 'cause it easier for us than to go to the town for washing._

_**Summary from the previous chapter**: Your arguing with Zoro continues. One little lunch break with Sanji followed by countless dates. Zoro was obviously pissed off about that so he came to your apartment after every date to lecture you. You all became so busy with work but you got another date with Sanji. On that date, you two were caught up by the rain and ran to your apartment, since it was close to the park. You were all wet, so you offer Sanji a shower. As he was in the shower, Zoro came to your apartment again and got really pissed off. So much he insulted you badly and that ticked Sanji that he had to punch Zoro. The blood was spilled but Zoro punched back. In the end, you were left in tears, alone in your apartment._

* * *

After Sanji left, I sat on the floor for several more minutes. The silence in the apartment was now overfilled with my sobs, which mixed with the sound of the pouring rain outside. Utter sadness has filled my being and tears were just rushing from my eyes, uncontrollably. I fell into the pits of despair…

With no dinner, face filled with tears and body shaking, I went to sleep. My head was filled with Zoro's words, all the action and Sanji's scary face. I wanted to forget all about this night filled with terror. I could hear thunder striking a couple more times before I fell asleep. I drifted into an empty dream.

…

As expected, alarm clock rang at 6:30AM, in time for me to wake up for work. To be honest, I didn't want to wake up. I didn't want to face the world today. I just wanted to isolate myself from everything. I didn't want this Monday. I turned the alarm off and went back under the blanket. It seemed like I was sleeping for just an hour, I was tired for some reason. I guess all that crying last night took the most out of me. I took my phone and dialed…

"Hello? Nami?", I barely said.

"_Yes, it's me. [y/n], is that you? You sound weird. Are you all right?"_, she asked.

"Actually, I'm not. This morning, I woke up with a headache. Can I get a day off today?", I shriveled more.

"_You can get a day off, but there's no one to finish your work. I could ask Ace to help with some of it but it'll still await you when you come back. Are you okay with it?"_

"Sure. I think I'll be okay for tomorrow. Thank you. Tell Ace I'm sorry that he has to do my job. I'll repay him."

"_You deal with that. For now, just stay in bed at take some meds, okay?"_

"Okay... Thank you again, Nami. Bye."

"_Alright, bye. I have to go. See you tomorrow.",_ with that she hung up. I put my phone back under the pillow and closed my eyes. My headache was starting to hurt more. I wanted to fall asleep again. I was forcing myself to sleep, just for the pain to disappear.

"_You… now you lost every respect in my eyes."_, I immediately opened my eyes. Zoro's words were ringing in my ears. I grabbed my head and started to pant heavily. It hurt more and more. I shut my eyes again to somehow delete or put the pain away. But I couldn't. Every time that sentence came to my mind, my brain pulsed and my headache grew.

"_You're nothing more than a trash of a woman now_.", there was it: the sentence that shocked me and hurt me more than anything he ever said before.

With this, I couldn't bare the pain. I opened my eyes, crawled into a ball more and cried. Tears were streaming from my face, I was sobbing but that sentence along with Zoro's expression kept appearing in my mind and in front of my eyes.

"S-Stop it… please…. Zoro… no… please stop… I haven't… I haven't done anything… Stop it… I beg of you… Zoro… aa-aaaah…", still holding my head, with my eyes shut hard, I cried.

I couldn't stop myself. It hurt. More than a headache, my heart hurt. I grabbed the shirt on my chest and gripped it harder with every second, like I was trying to pull out my painful heart. I could feel just sadness. That was the sadness that was destroying my soul, my mind and my heart. Suddenly, I ran out of air. I desperately tried to pull off the blanket I was covered with. I felt like I was drowning. Once pulled off, I gasped the fresh air but it wasn't enough. Air was still missing in my lungs. I was running out of air, like someone was suffocating me. Still crying, I fell on the floor, gripping my shirt and panting heavily. I lay on my back and tried to calm myself down. I could hear my heart pounding fast and hard, ready to explode out of my chest.

'_Why am I going through this? It hurts… I don't want it. I don't want to suffer like this. It's not worth it. I only want to be happy. Why can't I be happy then?'_

Then suddenly, I stopped. The last couple of tears slid from my cheeks on the floor, my heavy breathing went silent. I couldn't hear anything, my heart stopped racing and my hand that was tightly gripping my shirt fell on the floor. I blinked and realized where I was lying. I was facing the ceiling, lying across from my bed. I stayed like that for some time, thoughts empty like a bottle after Zoro's drinking. And there was it, his name…

I turned my head to the left. My bedroom door was open, showing the corner of my living room sofa. Image of last night flashed in my mind and I closed my eyes slowly. I couldn't cry anymore. I was now left without any emotions. I couldn't force myself to move, I didn't feel any muscle, I was just breathing.

After some time, I stood up, wanting to go to kitchen. I needed to prepare myself. I had to face the trauma that hit me hard last night. I dragged my feet over the floor. I finally came to the door opening to support myself as I could barely feel my legs. I shifted my gaze to the living room floor and immediately got sick as I saw blood stains. The last thing I wanted to do is throw up so I closed my eyes fast and laid my forehead on the door frame. After I calmed myself a bit, I looked at it again. It was making me sick but it couldn't stay there forever. I gather up all my strength, went to the bathroom for a rag and water to clean it up.

"_You bastard!",_ came Sanji's yelling voice to my head as I wiped the floor. The image of Sanji hitting Zoro appeared in my mind and it was so clear, it looked like I was seeing it all over again. I wiped the floor harder, gripping the little piece of fabric in my hands.

"_You can say whatever you like about me, but you can never, ever, EVER insult a woman in front of me!",_ it echoed again. The stains dried over night and it was hard removing them. I pushed and wiped, clenching my teeth, trying to control my teary eyes, but the stains were persistent. They wouldn't leave, like the image of Sanji beating Zoro that wouldn't leave my mind.

"Fuck! Shit!", I cursed as I hit my head on the floor, "Just go away!", I hit my head again and threw the rag that flew over the kitchen counter and hit some glasses and bottles that were on the worktable. Those immediately fell and glasses broke to pieces. That snapped me out and I stood up. Glass was all over the kitchen floor and I wasn't wearing any slippers. Few moments later, the apartment door opened and old lady Ishikawa ran in.

"What was that sound? [y/n]-chan, are you alright?", she panicked. I just nodded and turned my gaze back to the kitchen. Granny Ishikawa looked that way and gasped.

"What happened in here? Are you hurt?", she grabbed my hands and examined them. She looked for more injuries but left the sigh of relief as she confirmed nothing's wrong, "I will clean this. You go and dress yourself up or you'll catch a cold like that.", she said and left the apartment to bring the broom. I changed to my daily clothes, brushed my teeth and hair and went back to the living room.

"This place is a mess. Why aren't you cleaning it?", granny Ishikawa asked me but I just sat there on the sofa, looking at my hands. We stayed silent for some time, "[y/n]-chan, what happened last night?", she looked at me but I quickly looked away, waving my head as like I was answering "_Nothing_". But I knew that old granny isn't a fool. She knows. She's probably guessing something but isn't going to ask any more of that.

"I saw Zoro-kun this morning. He was heading to work. His face was really horrible. He had some stitches and band aids. When I asked him what happened, he told me that he got in a street fight.", she said but I was still looking to the side, clenching my fists and biting my lower lip, "Okay, I'm all done. You can use your kitchen again. And next time, be careful with throwing. If you need me, you know where I live. Goodbye for now.", and so granny Ishikawa left.

When I looked back to the kitchen and the floor where blood was, I saw it all cleaned up. The old lady probably figured out what happened in here after all she saw. I laid on the sofa, bumping my face into a pillow. I was thinking about Zoro. I felt sorry for him but in the same time, I didn't. I was the one hurt with his insults the most. Does he ever think about my feelings or does he just say the first thing that is on his mind? I don't understand him anymore. I tried to but I can't understand how he thinks.

"Zoro…", I said with a silent voice and once again fell asleep, tired of crying. In that moment, I only wanted to wake up with a smile and refreshed, like nothing happened.

…

I woke up by the pain in my stomach. I haven't had any meal since yesterday's lunch. My stomach growled and I had to get up and prepare myself some late breakfast. I turned the TV on and prepared myself a rice omelet. I ate it watching some comedy shows but I quickly changed the channel because I didn't felt like laughing at that moment, and as soon as I finished my omelet, the doorbell rang. I put the plate in the sink and ran to open the door. In front of my apartment were Nami, Vivi and Ace. I couldn't help but smile.

"Heeeey~! How are you, girl? Feeling better?", said Ace, with his cheerful and happy smile.

"Sorry for dropping by, but we came to visit.", said Nami right after.

"We brought you some fruit.", said Vivi lifting a basket of fruits in her hands. I kept my smile steady. I couldn't afford for them to see me sad.

"Guys, you don't know how happy I am to see you. Please, come in.", I invited them, showing the way to the living room, "Please, make yourselves at home."

"_Ojamashimasu_!", shouted Ace, showing his polite side, "This is the first time I come here. You have a nice little home.", he said, looking around the room. Nami sat on the sofa, as Ace sat on the armchair first.

"How are you, [y/n]-san?", asked Vivi, sitting next to Nami.

"I'm just fine, thanks. All I needed was some extra sleep, that's all.", I said putting the fruit basket on the counter.

"I told you! You need rest. You really work too much.", Ace added, loosening his tie a little.

"Sorry for making you worry. Would you like something to drink?", I asked.

"Just water, thanks. Outside is hot as Hell! It's good you have the air condition.", said Nami, cooling herself with her work papers. I served them and sat on the chair that I brought from my bedroom. Ace was relaxing on the armchair, also using some papers as a fan.

"Thank you for the fruits. You really shouldn't have. Are you on a lunch break now?", I asked.

"Yes. We came here as soon as possible, but we must leave soon. Your home is very far, you know that? It's a good thing Ace can drive.", explained Nami.

"Hehe, yeah. You should see my _Chevrolet Camaro_ go. We sure did came here as fast as we could.", he then burst into laughing and made me giggle a little too.

"Stop it, Ace! If cops stopped us we would all be in jail right now. Why do you guys like all those sporty cars? We could've got killed. You were driving too fast!", yelled Nami at him but Ace just laughed proudly at his driving skills. Those two went into arguing that was filled with Ace's laugh while Nami shouted in annoyance.

"[y/n]-san, have you seen Zoro-san this morning? When he came to the company, he looked really awful. Do you maybe know what happened to him? He won't talk to anybody.", asked Vivi, right from the bait. Ace and Nami stopped talking and all glares were at me now. My smile was gone. I looked at the floor. I couldn't tell anybody what happened yesterday night. I couldn't bring those memories back. It was just too painful. Nami noticed my expression.

"Vivi, how can you ask that? [y/n] was obviously in bed all morning; she couldn't see Zoro because she was sick. And by the way, I suppose it was another fight with Sanji-kun because he too has a band aid on his cheek. Those two are just so different it's crazy. Right, [y/n]?", she smiled, trying to cheer me up.

I forced a smile back. I couldn't let them worry about me. I will carry this problem on my own and hopefully solve it soon.

"You are right, Nami-san. That makes sense.", Vivi tried to cover her mistake. Then, the long pause went on but Ace broke it with a long sigh. He looked at his watch and booed.

"Wow, it's almost time for us to go back. Girls, are you ready?", he said, fixing his tie back.

"Ah, it's already over… ", Nami said sadly but quickly came back; "I am not going through that entire nerv wracking ride again! This time go slower!", she yelled at Ace.

"If we're going to make it in time for the end of the break, I must drive fast.", he responded, playing with his car keys. Ace was clearly annoying Nami.

"Ace-san, please try to go slower. If police sees us…", Vivi worried.

"Mah, don't worry. I know all the shortcuts to avoid them when they start to chase us.", he stood up and put his jacket on.

"Ace! I told you not to do it! Drive carefully!", Nami yelled again but Ace only laughed, "Sorry for this, [y/n]. He just won't listen.", said Nami as they were all going to the door.

"Don't worry, I'm okay. Thank you all for taking your time to come and visit me.", I said greeting them out.

"No worries. We'll see each other tomorrow. Now, have some more rest and eat some fruits we gave you.", said Nami.

"I will. Thank you again. See you tomorrow!", I said waving at them as they entered the elevator and left.

I came back in, turned the TV off and ate some fruit. I was thinking about what granny Ishikawa and Vivi said about Zoro. They both stated that his face was all in wounds. After all, Sanji did punch him hard but I never imagined he would be ruined like that. I still have to see it for myself but on the other hand, I don't want to see Zoro. I feel uneasy just thinking about facing him.

'_What am I supposed to say if we meet? I don't think he would want to talk to me after all he said. How am I supposed to act in his company? I doubt that he doesn't want to see me either. This all sucks…'_

I left the half eaten apple on the living room table and just sat there, in silence, all alone.

'_I need to go to work tomorrow. It's a good thing we don't work at the same department or that would really ruin me. Even so, we would surely meet. All I need to do is avoid him by staying at my desk all day. But, that's only at work. The worst part is here. We live next to each other. How am I supposed to avoid him here? It's impossible! I can't stay in my apartment all day. I can't go to work after he does or I'll be late. This is one big problem…'_, I sighed and fell on the sofa. My feelings were all mixed up.

To entertain myself, and to stop thinking about Zoro and the problem of seeing him, I found my old mp3 player and let some music calm me down, as it always helps. I ate my apple and started cleaning the place. That surely kept my mind off Zoro but off Sanji too. I just wanted to relax. After some time, the battery on my mp3 player died.

"Damn it! Right when the good song was about to start! Stupid machine!", I threw the little player on my bed from the bedroom door opening, "Kyaaah! I'm hungry again. This cleaning was really tiring. I still don't believe I had so many stuff laying around.", I stretched and went to kitchen to search for something to eat. Outside, Sun was already setting. My "day off" went just too fast. I once again prepared an omelet and ate it with some other TV show. When I finished eating, all that was left to do is die of boredom. At that time, I would be at the company or come back home tired.

"I guess I'll play some games on my computer, since there's nothing better to do.", I said turning on my PC on the desk in the bedroom. Again, the doorbell rang. I got a crazy and weird feeling about this one. My stomach was telling me it's bad, but I decided to open the door after all. I didn't check the peephole and just opened the door to see someone who I really don't want to.

"Hello, [y/n]. I heard from Nami you were feeling ill. Are you okay now?", it was Robin, the department chief. Seeing her face made me feel sick even more than I was in the morning. Every time I see her, I see Zoro, too. She reminds me of him and it's all because of her constant flirting with him at work.

'_What does she want now? Don't tell me she came to visit me? There's no way…'_, I thought, unsure if I can smile at her or slap her in the face for all the things she did to me.

"Yes, I was a little bit tired and that made me sick. I just needed rest from all that work, that's all. But I'm feeling—"

"Yeah, yeah, that's so great to hear. But I am in an emergency right now!", she cut me in the half of the sentence and she doesn't mind that at all, "Listen, [y/n], do you, possibly, have some band aids and iodine for wound care? I need it to treat Zoro.", she finished and I crumbled right there. I felt like my lungs being squeezed and my guts being all tied up. I was feeling uneasy. Many images of last night were flashing in my head and it started to hurt again. I held my breath for a few moments, trying to lower the pain.

"I-I'm sorry, Robin. I don't think I have anything of that here…"

"Can you check for it again? Zoro really needs it.", she whined. I sigh and went back in to "_check_". I closed the door and fell on the floor right after. My head was screaming in pain. I was supporting myself by the wall but I couldn't stand up. I don't know what hurts the most: my stomach, head or my heart. I know my teeth hurt of how hard I was clenching them.

'_WHY? Why is she here? Couldn't she buy all that stuff at the pharmacy? Why her? Why me? Why do I always have to be hurt like that? Is she doing it on purpose? Why is she helping Zoro? Why does she like to butt in everywhere? She's going to nurse him? Isn't Zoro already a grown up man? Why? Why? WHY IS IT ALWAYS ROBIN?'_

I hit the floor with my fist. My body was starting to shake and shivers were running all over me. I remembered that Robin was still in front of my door, so I went to the bathroom to find what she was asking for. Those questions were still buzzing in my head. I found some meds and went back to Robin.

"Here are some band aids, I don't have many. Also, I don't have iodine but this is something similar. It's used for disinfecting and cleaning the wounds. Apply it—"

"Oh, my! Thank you so much! That is all I need to take care of Zoro. And you said you don't have anything. Hmph…", she cut me again. Robin was acting all bitchy and that really annoyed me, "Anyways, whoever did that to Zoro's precious face is a horrible person. I will never forgive that person! Ever!", she looked at me with piercing eyes.

I just stayed silent, not letting her words get to me. I need to keep my guard and stop worrying about her and Zoro. Can I really do that? After what she said, Robin went to Zoro's apartment. I shut my door and marched to my living room. I took the nearest pillow and threw it to the wall on the other side, almost breaking the big vase that was near the TV.

'_This needs to stop! I know I was upset and sad so much I could die from lacking air but… ALL THIS IS JUST PISSING ME OFF! FUCK ROBIN! AND FUCK ZORO! I don't care anymore! I only want to be happy! I want to become stronger! I WANT TO LIVE!'_, I thought, quickly changed into my sweat suit and sneakers, put a towel and a wallet in my bag, took the apartment keys and rushed out.

'_I can no longer be depressed and losing to despair. I'm ruining myself just by crying and feeling sad. I need to come back to my usual self. I need to be happy! I must be happy! I need to do something good for myself or I'll end in a hospital. I don't want that!'_, I rushed to the elevator, selecting the bottom floor. I need to get out of here!

As soon as I left the building, I knew just one place to go to. I ran as fast as I can. People were staring but I didn't mind them. I just need to cool my head and release all this stress and pain that was built in me. I came to the nearest gym.

"Excuse me, where can I apply for training?", I asked one guy that looked like a trainer, with strong and muscular body. He was at the counter on the entrance of the gym.

"I can sign you in. You just need to fill this form with some information about yourself. First visit is free.", he gave me a paper which I was supposed to fill with info. Hearing the "_free_" made me smile – that's luck, "I'll be your trainer for some time but after a month or two, if you decide to stay, you'll already know the basic things you need to do. Now, fill that form and come to the training room. I'll wait for you."

I quickly signed the form and went to finally let loose and let go of all the stress and pressure I was feeling. Trainer's name was Kei and was about year or two older than me. He said I shouldn't push myself too hard on the first try but I wanted to let it all out. I was just too pissed off! With all those warnings and his yelling, I had to control myself.

"You already have a nice body, [y/n]. You don't need to lose any more of the body mass. Do you want to switch to aerobic or fitness programs? Those will help you.", he asked supporting my weights.

"Will it help me feel better? I came just to get rid of the stress. But if those other things will help me calm down, I'll gladly go there.", I said lifting the weights carefully.

"Those will definitely help you calm down. You don't want to build up your body, do you?", he smiled.

"Hehe, I don't know. Maybe I _do_ want that.", I smiled back.

We chatted often during the exercise but Kei mostly showed me how to work out and we weren't joking around then. The practice was really awesome and it really helped me calm my nerves and stop thinking about… a certain person and his tailing "department chief _dog_". And like that, the practice went by really fast. It was already 9PM, time for gym to close and for everyone to go home.

"Will you come tomorrow?", Kei asked me, sorting the papers on the reception.

"I think I'll come. I still need to get this all out but I definitely feel better now. Thank you so much.", I said, wiping the sweat off my face.

"Okay. See you tomorrow then. Be careful on your way home.", he said and waved to me.

Kei was really nice and pleasant person, he helped me a lot. Now, it's finally time to hit the sheets and go to sleep. Tomorrow is a working day and I need to prepare myself for all the things that will happen when I come to the company.

…

The sound that woke me up wasn't the sound of the alarm on my phone but my phone ringtone. I lazily mumbled trying to stop the annoying ringing. Still half asleep, I somehow pressed the button and answered the call with low voice.

"Hello?", I said, eyes still closed. Not even checking the number or the time, I just wanted this to end soon so I can go back to sleep.

_"[y/n]? Thank God I reached you!_", said a familiar voice, all in the rush.

"Nami?", I mumbled again.

"_Yes, it's me. I couldn't get anyone else to answer their phones so I'm glad I got you. Listen, I have an emergency!",_ I listened to her, still half sleeping, "_I need you to come to the company ASAP!"_

"Hmmm? Why? I want to sleep. Do you know what time it is?"

"_Yes, it's 6AM. But that's not the problem_!", she wouldn't listen to me, "_I need you here. Vivi is sick now and she was supposed to come to the meeting with me. Some great people are coming and we mustn't waste this opportunity. Are you listening?_", she talked so fast but I heard her every word.

"Mm-hmm, I hear you."

"_Alright, then it's settled. Come here fast! See ya_!", and she hung up.

"O-Oi! I didn't say I would—", but it was too late. Nami already hung up the call and I was already fully awake. I hit my face onto the pillow and tapped my legs on the mattress, "Why me?", I whined in the pillow. I calmed down immediately because there was no escape now that she called me. I had the early train at 6:30AM so I had to hurry and get dressed for work. Once I was dressed up I took one piece of toast, my briefcase, brushed my hair quickly in a bun and rushed out of the apartment. Running down the stairs from the seventh floor of the building wasn't an option so I impatiently pushed the "_down_" button of the elevator, checking my wrist watch every 5 seconds.

"Come on, you stupid can.", I pressed the button again and it finally opened. Once downstairs, I ran as fast as I could to the station that was about 2 streets away, "Damn this skirt and all of it!", I yelled at myself. People once again stared at me but I had to catch up or I'll miss the ride. I was lucky to get in the train just in time. At the company, Nami awaited me at the reception desk, fully impatient.

"Ah, thank you! You came. Now, fix your hair fast and let's go. They are already waiting for us. Boss is kinda pissed off. Let's hurry.", she said dragging me by the sleeve.

'_Kinda pissed off?_', I thought.

I fixed my hair as Nami suggested and we entered the meeting room that was right there on the first floor so I was saved of rushing to the elevator and such. Those people who waited for us were some foreigners, wanting to create a partnership with our company. I was needed as a translator, not such a big deal. The meeting went well, even though it lasted for 2 hours. The partnership was created, our jobs were still safe and everyone was satisfied.

"Phew, and that's that.", I said collecting the glasses of water from the table.

"Yeah, you saved us. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't understand the most of what they were saying. I really owe you one.", Nami finally took a breather and calmed down. She was arranging the meeting papers; we were the last ones in the room.

"It's okay. This is all the part of my job.", I said pushing the cart with glasses outside the room.

Nami followed right after. The others already came to work so I didn't need to worry if I'll meet Zoro on the hall. I checked my business card on the reception and went to the elevator alone because Nami had some more work on the first floor. I couldn't wait to come back to my desk and start working again. One day off seemed like one year, I really missed my job. Even though I was always tired after I come back home, I loved my job and enjoyed it. Everyone greeted me nicely when I came back. I haven't seen Robin, and I didn't want to! She's probably one floor below. I'm sick of her face and her presence. Two more were missing: Vivi, which Nami said was sick and Ace. I haven't seen him at all around the department and I wanted to thank him for finishing the most of my work from yesterday. On my desk was a little stack of papers and beside it a huge one that was finished. Ace really did a great job. When I stood up, to go and ask someone about Ace, I saw Sanji. He was listing some papers. Our glares met. I quickly looked away and sat back down. Not just around Zoro, but I don't know how to act around Sanji too. The one thing was for sure: I shouldn't panic. After all, Sanji didn't do anything wrong, he was actually helping me. I was so grateful that he did that, but I was still frightened, seeing that bad side of him. I always knew Sanji as a kind man and now…

"[y/n]-san…", his voice came so suddenly and made me jump a little in my chair. Sanji was standing beside my desk. He had a sad look on his face and a band aid on his left cheek where Zoro punched him. I couldn't say anything; I just stared but quickly caught myself at it and looked away, "[y/n]-san… I know this is so sudden, but you should know…", I looked at him again, "I transferred here.", my eyes widen. I was really surprised, "Ace went on my position downstairs…", he was sad but he quickly looked me in the eyes now talking with a rushing tone, "I know that is selfish, I'm sorry. This transfer may hurt you, but… I can't stand that man. I don't want any contact with him anymore. Please, understand me. His mug face just makes me want to punch it more and more. [y/n]-san, please, forgive me.", he gripped the papers in his hands more. I understood his feelings very well. I couldn't stand to see Zoro's face anymore, too. It pisses me off and just makes me remember all that happened on Sunday night. I took Sanji by his hands and he looked at me. I gave him a warm smile.

"Thank you, Sanji… And don't worry, you're not hurting me, you helped me more than I could ever ask for. You protected me on your own free will and even got injured by doing so. So, don't apologize for anything you've done, it's not your fault. I'm grateful you've done that for me.", he looked at me with a surprised face but smiled soon.

"Sanji-kun! You didn't transfer here to start flirting with women. Come here immediately! You're still on learning the job in this department so, no slacking!", Nami cut us. Sanji just smiled at me and left. It was good to know we are still good friends. That took some of the pressure off my heart. My day began with a smile and I was keeping it up for the whole day.

…

"So, Sanji-kun transferred yesterday, after we came from your place. Ace gladly switched places.", explained Nami as we were having a lunch break at our department. Ace and Luffy came from their floor so the 5 of us, including Sanji, enjoyed the nice meal.

"It's so great that you're back, [y/n]-san. I was worried all day yesterday. And, I didn't know if you are going to come today so I bought all these breads and pastries.", said Sanji.

"But this is also nice. Now we are all here, eating and chatting. It's more fun when the group is bigger and not just the two. Or, did you want to do something else… eh, Sanji-san?", Ace winked and Sanji blushed like mad in the moment. The rest of us burst into laughing. Ace was absolutely right, it was refreshing and nicer in a group of friends and I was more relaxed and happy.

"Ace, I owe you so much for doing more than half of my work from yesterday. Thank you so much!", I stood up and bowed in respect. Ace laughed, stood up and patted me on the shoulder to bring me back up.

"You're very welcome… princess.", he said, taking my hand and kissing it. Sanji quickly stood up too, defending me from any more of Ace's actions. We again laughed hard. Sanji was so amusing, he made me smile so much.

…

The rest of the day went pretty well and just ordinary for a working day. I was feeling happy and optimistic and that gave me more strength to work, there wasn't that unlucky green to bother me. Sanji's transferring really changed the whole department – we were smiling and laughing more, talking but also working hard and finishing everything on time. First thing tomorrow, Robin went to another business trip, as I heard, with Zoro. Their absence brought unusual great harmony to the company and both departments – it was much calmer, happier and easy to work without them. The whole week was like that and it really made my mood fresh and happy. Also, I went to gym every night after work to work out and free myself from stress that I was feeling less every day. On the Sunday morning I met granny Ishikawa on the hallway carrying her basket of dirty clothes.

"Wash day, huh?", I asked with a smile, carrying my own laundry basket. She pressed the elevator button for the basement, where the washing machines were.

"Good morning. Same goes to you. You're really happy lately. Did something happened?", we chatted until the elevator came.

"I just learned to enjoy my job more. I feel more relaxed and more optimistic now. I feel great!", I smiled as wide as I can, showing my words.

"That is wonderful to hear. Last Sunday was a disaster, I'm so glad to see you smiling like that. Smile suits you, after all.", granny smiled with me. We chatted more during the ride. I couldn't hide my happiness.

"Do you need any change? I have some spare if you need extra money.", I offered coins to granny but she refused.

"It's fine, I brought just enough. I don't have much and I always have enough money for the washing.", we smiled again entering the washing room. I turned to the first free washing machine, not looking if there are more people.

"Oh, Zoro-kun. You already came from your trip.", said granny and that froze me in place. I was facing them with my back so Zoro couldn't see my surprised and frightened face.

All my negative emotions were coming back – sadness, fear, pain, and much more. All that pushed my smiling attitude away and all those emotions were starting to mix. I didn't know what to do at that point.

"I came back yesterday night. It was tiring and filled with work. I couldn't relax even a bit. Weird stuff happened and I just want to forget about it fast. But, never minding that... Ishikawa-san, do you maybe have some change, I ran out of it just now?", he asked. I wanted to run out of the place. I gripped my wallet but put it fast in my pocket and started stuffing the washing machine with my laundry.

"Ah, I'm so sorry. I don't have any spare change but [y/n]-chan does. She offered it to me just now, you should ask her.", I stopped again. I was impatiently awaiting Zoro's respond. The silence was suffocating. My heart was racing so hard, I thought even Zoro could hear it. I felt shivers down my spine as I was sure Zoro was looking at me.

"Thank you for the offering but I asked you, not her. I don't need her money.", he said with unusual cold tone, "I'll just go and get some change from the bank.", I could hear his footsteps so I started to rumble around my laundry and put it in the washing machine.

Zoro's footsteps became louder as he was coming closer. My washing machine was the first one from the entrance so he must pass me to get out of the room. I was looking at the clothes but I could see, with the corner of my eye, when Zoro passed. He looked at me and growled silently, but I heard him anyways. He stopped at the exit and came back to me. I was surprised but still gather enough courage to look at him. He took out his wallet, looked around it, took some money out and slammed it on the top of my washing machine. It was a $100 bill. I looked at it and then at Zoro.

"Here. Buy yourself some decent pants. It's a shame to wear those, all torn off.", he said, full of himself, without any shame in his voice. Zoro just turned around and started going to the exit. I looked at my jeans, which were bought "_all torn off_", as that was the style, and then looked at Zoro, leaving the room like nothing happened. At first I was surprised but then I got pissed off. I slammed the basket with my laundry, took his money and ran to him in the hallway. When I caught up, I grabbed Zoro by the shoulder, turned him towards me and slapped him in the face as hard as I could. His head turned to the side but right after, a grin formed on his lips.

"Well, that was unexpected… but it's still nothing compared to blonde's punches.", he put his hand on the slapped place and looked at me.

"You bastard! What gives you right to do that? You disgust me.", I threw the money to his face but he didn't catch it. Zoro just stared at me. Silence was all there was, we just stared at each other. I was pissed off like never before, but I was awaiting Zoro's action.

'_Say something, you asshole_!', my blood was boiling.

"I need to talk to you.", he broke the silence with unusual calm tone.

"Why do I need to talk to _you_? I don't have anything to say."

"I said: I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!", he raised his voice and came closer to me.

"Why do I need to obey your commands? I'm not your pet dog, like someone!", Zoro frowned more, took me by my both wrists and pushed me to the wall. His face was only centimeters away from mine.

"I told you, I need to talk to you, and you will listen.", he said with a low voice.

"And what if I say '_no_'? Will you rape me right on the spot, huh?", I kept a serious voice but Zoro smiled again.

"What will you do is all your choice, I just need a talk for a few minutes…", he said, his grip tightening and his face coming closer to mine. I tried to keep it strong but my body felt limb fast so I couldn't escape from Zoro. I was trying to control my breath but it only speed up as Zoro was coming closer and closer, both with his body and his face.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	4. Chapter 4

_Uwaaah, this was really tiring but I made it in time. A little late but still "in time". So, I decided to update the chapter EVERY FRIDAY, if it's possible. I'll try my hardest to make it happen! **GANBARIMASU**!_

_So, onto this chapter!_

_**Notes**:_

_-**Kowai** - jap. for "scary"._

_-**Otsukaresama deshita** - a common Japanese saying after some job done, meaning "good work" or "job well done"._

_-**Lat Pull Down/Pec Deck machine** - machines used in gyms, check the google for images and info._

_**Summary from the previous chapter**: It took you some time to recover after Sanji's and Zoro''s fight in your apartment but you did it perfectly with help from your friends. Sanji transferred to your department, but that was actually a good thing. You didn't have any contact with Zoro what so ever but one Sunday, after he came from his trip, he finally spoke up, wanting from you to listen to what he has to say._

* * *

Hallway was empty and silent, only my breathing was breaking the silence between Zoro and me. Zoro's grip was still quite tight but it didn't hurt me. No matter what I tried, I couldn't break free from him. His right leg was placed between my legs, separating them. Our faces were so close, only a couple of centimeters away so that many weird thoughts were coming to my mind. Despite all those thoughts, I knew Zoro wouldn't do something like that. My feelings of annoyance were taking over, fast. I once again tried to break out but Zoro just held me too tight.

"Let me go, Zoro!", I commanded, my teeth clenched tight.

"No. Not until you agree to hear what I have to say.", he said, pinning me to the wall again.

"We are through with talking. I don't want to hear anything from you!"

"Fine. I will hold you until you say yes. I am serious.", he frowned and once again, silence emerged. I heard some voices coming closer, approaching us. I struggled again but Zoro kept his calm and didn't move a bit.

"Zoro… let… go.", I said again with clenched teeth.

"No. I can stay here all day, but I'm not letting you go. I don't care who will see us or what will they say, I just want you to listen to me for 5 freaking minutes! Is that too much to ask for?!", he yelled as two women passed us, covering their mouths, gossiping and looking at us.

On the entrance of the washing room, more women were standing and looking at the scene Zoro was creating. More and more people were coming downstairs and passing us, watching what's happening. I was embarrassed to the core. The last thing I want is for the neighbors to see us like this. I looked at the ground, trying to avoid all the nasty looks. I was mad both at myself and Zoro. If one of my hands was free I would slap him again, this time harder. I shut my eyes and took a moment.

"Fine", I said under my breath, then looked back at Zoro, "I'll come with you. Just let's go out of here. I don't want any more people to see us together.", it took him a few moments to loosen the grip. Zoro finally let go of my arms, but as soon as I put them down, he grabbed one quickly and started pulling me.

"Hey! Stop that! Where are you taking me?!", I tried to shake him off but Zoro was always stronger than me.

"My apartment. If you ask why… I feel the most comfortable there."

"And what about me?! Do you even think about my feelings?", he didn't say anything to that, "Hey! Answer me!"

"Stop yelling and just come with me. You agreed to listen to what I have to say so shut it.", he said, not turning to me at all.

"Well, you can at least answer my questions!", again, nothing. I just sighed because it was Zoro. He's unchangeable, "At least tell me why are you pulling me so roughly? Can't we just walk?"

"You said you wanted to escape that place so that people won't see us together. Well, we're escaping. And I'm holding you so that you won't escape me."

"What am I? A dog?! Stop behaving like you own me, Zoro.", he ignored me and pulled me more.

We finally reached the elevator, passing mass of people before, all with strange looks at us. Once in, Zoro selected our floor number and I shook my hand off. That made Zoro look at me with a confused face.

"We are now in the elevator. Where do you think I can escape?", I said sarcastic, crossing my arms as I took a step away from the green freak. The whole ride was silent, of course. I didn't want to have any contact with him. I couldn't wait to get out.

"Let—", when the door opened, I quickly rushed out, cutting Zoro in his sentence. I waited for him in front of his apartment door, tapping my foot, arms still crossed.

"Hurry it up already! Let's get over with this.", now I commanded.

Zoro unlocked the door and I went in first. This was unusual situation for the first visit of his apartment. His hallway was small, not too long, which was like letter Y, continuing into two more hallways. The left one was another small hallway that was probably leading to his bedroom and on the right was an open living room. I went right and sat on the long cream colored sofa. His living room had 2 sofas and an armchair, all in the same color. Zoro's apartment was surprisingly clean and stylish, but also bigger than mine. I observed a little before he came and stood in front of me. He dragged the armchair and sat in front of me, on the other side of the living room table.

"Okay, go on, talk. I'll pretend to listen.", yes, I was acting bitchy. He deserved it, after how he treated me. I could see Zoro's eye twitch and a bigger frown forming on his face.

"What I wanted to talk about is that Sunday night.", he started.

"Oh, no.", I rolled my eyes and looked to the side, keeping my arms still crossed.

"Will you just stop it and let me finish?", I looked at him again, "As I was saying, that Sunday was really tense and really weird. After talking to some people, I came up with the same story from all of them. Apparently, you and the blond aren't in a relationship."

"Wow, took you long enough to figure _that_ out.", I said. Zoro paused, took a deep breath and continued.

"That night, I got pissed off, got carried away and insulted you. Now, after realizing my mistakes and what shit I've done, I can admit that I hurt you. In that matter, I apologize for everything I've done and said… I'm sorry.", he finished, eyes closed, face down. On his face, I could see he wanted to kneel and put his head really low for that apologize. I watched him with wide eyes as I couldn't believe my ears. After some time, I stood up and began to clap sarcastically.

"Well done, well done indeed. Now, where's the hidden camera?", I looked around the place clapping.

"[y/n], this isn't a joke! I'm serious!", he stood up and yelled. That pissed me off. Now it's time to show and spit out everything I've been holding all this time.

"I am serious too! Zoro, what show is this really?! You apologizing? Don't make me laugh! That's so gotta be a joke! I mean, seriously, come on… When did you ever apologize to someone? Huh?! I never heard of that. Roronoa Zoro never apologizes! Isn't that right?!"

"I told you, I made a mistake and realized it. For that I apologize.", he said with a calm tone now.

"_Mistakes_! You made countless _mistakes_! Those would take you centuries to get right or maybe never. Oh, come on, please. If you just asked and let me answer you, I could tell you that Sanji and I are just friends. Nothing else! But no! Instead of asking, you just came and bash about it, saying that I already slept with him! Sanji doesn't attract me as a man. Not knowing our relationship, you acted on your own and insulted both of us hard. He probably took it lightly, but it hurt me like I was hit by a truck. It gives you no rights to insult him or me. You did it every single time I had a date with him. Let me tell you, I am living my own life, so stop disturbing me and trying to make all the things your way. Stop controlling me!"

"I wasn't trying to control you, I was just—"

"Zoro, don't you think it's a bit too late for you to correct things now? Don't you think it's late for any sort of apologize? Because I know it is. After all you've said, after all the times you've hurt me… you apologize now… That apologize would be effective if you maybe said it after the arguing. I might forgive you then. But keeping it silent all this time, makes me think you really meant all you've said. Now, I don't think we can ever be friends again, Zoro. But I think we never were friends to begin with...", I was beginning to feel sad, I was going to the door, "Now, if you'll excuse me…", Zoro stopped me by grabbing me by the arm.

"Why are you acting like this?", he asked calmly but that question has woken up the hurricane inside of me. I shook off his hand and turned to him again.

"Why? Like what? Like a bitch?! For not forgiving you?! Not playing by your rules?! Heh, like I said, I have my own life and you don't have any influence on it. Get that to your thick head! Zoro, just think about it: what was the conversation like when you start it and what was like when I start? When you start to talk to me, you always begin with an insult! I tried countless of times to control myself and not respond with the same style as you, but you just provoked me. Every single time! When I try to talk to you, I do it calmly and not raising my voice. So, why are you doing that? Why are you constantly annoying me and insulting me so hard? Does it amuse you? Do you even think about what you say? Do you think about my feelings and how will I feel after your insults? Even a bit? I guess not. I must quote Sanji, '_I am not someone you can insult as you like'_. Okay?", he just stood there, with no reaction, not changing the expression on his face after everything I've said. That pissed me off the most! I took a deep breath to calm myself down, "This conversation is over. You had your 5 '_freaking'_ minutes and more of that. Now, excuse me, I have left some laundry downstairs.", I said and closed the door behind me.

I ran to the elevator, constantly pressing "_down_". I just wanted to get away from Zoro. When I came in the elevator, I leaned to the back, let my head fall and panted heavily.

'_What was that just now? I totally snapped. I let it all out in a flash. I thought letting it all out would make me feel better and make my feelings settle but… Why is it suffocating me? Why do I feel like shit? I did nothing wrong…'_

I quickly stood up as the door opened and few more ladies with baskets entered, selecting the basement floor to go to the washing room. I tried to stay calm as much as possible.

Zoro and I will most likely stay silent forever, if I don't decide to forgive him one day. But even if that day comes, I'm sure he would refuse me then.

I stayed in the back of the elevator as more and more people were getting in. They were all laughing and talking and I was invisible. I can't tell how I felt at that time. I'm sure I was down – once happy face in the morning turned out to be sad and depressed in the early afternoon. Do I really need to be sad and gloomy like that? I really didn't do anything wrong, I just stated my thoughts and said all I wanted and things I kept in me all this time.

Elevator was starting to get empty reaching the bottom floors. Once at the basement, I decided to keep a small smile and stay strong, not showing the depression. As I entered the washing room, it suddenly became silent. I knew this would happen but I still greeted everyone with that weak smile of mine. My laundry hasn't even started to wash. I put some coins, detergent and started the washing machine. I could hear the nervous mumbling behind me and the looks that were stabbing me in the back. When the machine started to wash, I went to the bench to read some magazines, as I waited for the laundry. The gossiping continued but I just sat there, trying not to care. It didn't quite work; I was feeling nervous because I knew all those women were talking bad about me, since they saw the show Zoro prepared for them in the hallway.

"[y/n]-chan…", suddenly the voice came in front of me and I raised my head to see the source. It was lady Ishikawa. I smiled at her, "Here...", she took her hand out of the pocket and offered me the $100 bill, "It's—"

"I am sorry, but, could you give that back to him. We are, sort of, in a bad relationship. We actually don't talk anymore… since this morning.", I said and everyone else heard me. When I looked at them, the women pretended to be busy with their own laundry but were looking at me with the corner of the eye. I sighed and stood up. Lady Ishikawa had a sad face on but I still smiled at her.

"I will come for my clothes when it finishes washing.", I said and put the magazine back on the bench. Odd looks followed me all the way out. I seriously needed a break and fresh air. This was just too much! I took a couple of deep breaths in the hallway and exited the building. Loud cars, trucks and buses were relaxing in this moment, better than a silent room filled with nasty looks towards me. On the street, no one knew what happened between me and Zoro, no one knew my problems. I went to the store across the street, bought a refreshing drink and came back to the entrance of my building. The people were passing me, walking or riding bicycles and I was relaxing myself, enjoying my drink.

"Oi, [y/n]! Funny meeting you here!", came the voice on my right. I turned my head and saw a familiar face. It was Usopp, my colleague at the company, who works at the same department as Luffy, Ace and Zoro. He was riding a bicycle but stopped as he saw me.

"Hey, Usopp! I can say the same thing for you. Wassap?", I said as he came to me.

"Nothing much, just a little exercise. And you? What are you doing here?", he asked.

"I live here.", I pointed to the building with my thumb and Usopp looked up in amazement, "I just came outside to get some fresh air and peace."

"Wow, I never knew that you live here. This is a very nice place. You're fancy.", he winked and made me laugh. Usopp was always funny; I enjoyed his company. He was the main joker in the group, "Also, finding peace and fresh air on a busy street? That's some new type of meditation.", I laughed like mad again. I don't know why but, Usopp amuses me and I laugh to tears every single time, "But even behind that laugh hides something.", said Usopp with a serious tone.

I immediately stopped smiling; he was dead serious, "Is there something wrong? Does it have to do with Sanji's transfer to your department? Because… since then, Zoro has been quiet more than usual and I haven't seen you two arguing like you used to. I mean, it's better if you don't fight with Zoro. Your fights were starting to seem like Zoro vs Sanji. But, you're not Sanji, you're [y/n], a nice and generous girl, so you shouldn't argue with Zoro that much."

"Wha-what are you talking about, Usopp? Haven't you noticed? Ever since Sanji came to us, I've been more optimistic and happy. I never felt better than this! Believe me, there's nothing wrong.", I smiled, trying to convince Usopp in my words. He just sighed and looked to the street.

"I know that but… what actually happens here is the question. As far as I know... you and Zoro are neighbors—"

"And that's just it! We're just neighbors and nothing else. I don't have much contact with him as we both work very hard and barely see each other, which works for me perfectly! I am not nervous and pissed off anymore, I feel very happy!", I cut Usopp to tell what it seemed like an obvious lie. Usopp still didn't believe me but smiled anyway.

"Ah, I should go now, I have some more business in the town. Take care [y/n] and don't stress out to much. Just let it go.", and he went off with a wave. Usopp just said an amazing thing: '_Just let it go_.' That was the thing I needed to do – let go of Zoro and bad thoughts about him. I will forever be grateful to Usopp for this, even though he doesn't know it - this was one hell of a great advice.

"Shit! My laundry!", I snapped and ran back to the basement washing room. By the time I arrived there, the room was quite empty, only few women remained and they apparently don't know about the "_Zoro incident_".

When I picked my washed and dried clothes, I left the basket with them on my bedroom floor and decided to spend the last of my Sunday afternoon outside. So, I had a little snack and called Nami and Vivi so that we can meet and hang out. After some time, they came and we met in front of my building. We went to the Mall, went shopping, took a break with cold drinks at a fancy cafe, chatted, laughed and overall had a great time.

"[y/n], we should totally hang out more! How about tonight? It's a must go out!", Nami said happily while we were in one of Mall's coffee shops.

"Nami, we have work tomorrow, remember?", I reminded her but she just took a sip of her espresso with a classy stance. Vivi tried to cool down her coffee with extra milk. My cappuccino was just resting on the table, cooling on its own.

"Damn… Then, tomorrow night! We will gather up the usual group and go out somewhere. What do you think, Vivi?", she said but Vivi got nervous because Nami asked for her opinion. She almost spilled her coffee.

"I-I… I think it's a great idea. It would be a great opportunity for us to get a little break from work. Ne, [y/n]-san?", she looked at me with a smile. With her and Nami convincing me, I couldn't resist. I sighed and agreed to their deal, taking a sip of my own coffee.

"And you all thought I was a workaholic!", said Nami and we laughed.

"We will go, but after 9PM, I have gym to go to.", I said leaving now almost empty cup on the table.

"Ah, speaking of gym and muscles… Have you made up with Zoro? Do you know anything new about him?", Nami asked so freely. I couldn't fake a smile. Even though I have made up my mind about him and said everything I meant, I was still unhappy. I looked at my reflection in the cup of cooled cappuccino. My face was dull, filled with sadness, like my mind filled with Zoro.

"We are on a bad ground. I can say we had a quarrel that didn't end well and now we don't talk to each other.", both of them looked at me with wide eyes.

"W-what?! What happened?!", Nami shouted a bit too loudly but quickly blushed and sat back down. I smiled at her, not sure if I should tell the whole story or just smile and keep it silent.

'_I stared it… There's no turning back now…'_

"Hmmm… I could just say that we had a misunderstanding and I let out a piece of my mind. Zoro just pisses me off, more and more each passing day. And so, I decided not to get involved in his games anymore.", I said with a calm tone and a smile on. I had to smile and show less sadness to them or it would hurt them. And what would hurt them more was the true and whole story of me and Zoro. Vivi and Nami just kept silent and had a sad expression on their faces. I couldn't let that happen!

"Oi, oi! We didn't come here to be sad. We came to have a great time and relax from all the work and daily lives. So, cheer up! Let's visit that store over there.", I pointed to the new opened shoe store.

I kept my smile on and smiled even wider now. They smiled again and I was relieved. I couldn't let them worry about me, this is my problem only. No matter how good friends we are, I can't tell them all that is happening in my life.

We paid for the coffee and left the store laughing again.

"All we really want is for you to be happy. It's somehow really sad that you and Zoro fight so much….", Nami was sad again.

"N-Nami... what are you talking about? Please cheer up, I beg of you! Don't worry so much about me, I will be fine. I ended my fights with Zoro. This is for the best, trust me.", I tried to sound confident and to cheer her up.

"[y/n]… you like Zoro, don't you?", I froze in my place.

I was really surprised that Nami said something like that. I remembered now… I was in love with him. I really liked him. No, I loved him. But, sadly, it all ended today, after all I said. My feelings just flew away. I was no longer a happy and cheerful like a high school girl in love. I let it all out. _I let it go_. I couldn't say anything to Nami. I was trying to stay calm and don't remember those lovely feelings I had for so long.

"How can you say something like that? We used to fight all the time; I can't like that bastard of a guy! There's no freakin' way! So, my answer is _'no'_.", I tried to cover myself up with a serious tone.

"[y/n], you know you can say anything to me…"

Nami and I were talking on the side while Vivi was trying on some sandals.

"I tell you, Nami, there's nothing between Zoro and me, you can be sure of it.", I still kept my guard up, not letting Nami's words crush me. But, I must admit, I was nervous she would somehow find out or maybe she already knows…

Nami nodded and smiled but I was sure she didn't believe me. Her opinion was always so hard to change. We joined Vivi in trying on some shoes and quickly bought ones ourselves. Nami was still suspicious about what I said. She sent me weird looks, watching over me like some detective. After that, we had our late lunch at Mall's restaurant and so we ended our little date.

I came back home, relaxed and refreshed, hands full of bags with new clothes and accessories. I was humming the cheerful melody while riding the elevator. Once it opened, I continued my way out of the elevator still humming and smiling, passing the _green-head's_ apartment door not looking at it. I think I finally did it! I finally got over him and it's all thanks to those two lovely girls. I smiled to myself, remembering today's excitement and fun the three of us had. I searched through my little bag for my apartment keys and accidentally hit the button on my phone. It showed me 7:18PM.

'_Shit! I was already supposed to be in the gym! Kei will hate me for being late… again!'_, I rushed and rustled more through my bag but the keys were just nowhere to be found. The fastest way was to drop it all out on the floor and search for the two little keys! I had lots of things in that bag and some of them rolled all over the hallway floor, like my pen and new lip glosses I bought. I found the keys, grabbed them but now chased after those rolling things.

"Come back here you little bastards!", I actually yelled at few little objects on my floor, running to catch them like a maniac, "Yosh! Now, back in the bag! I have no time for games.", I put them back with the other stuff that I picked up.

I quickly unlocked, opened the door and ran to my room as fast as I could, shopping bags flying in my hands. I just dropped those bags on the floor, too busy to worry where they would land. I put on my sweat suit fast; sneakers too, took my training bag from my closet and ran out, locking the apartment door once more. I made it to the gym just in time for Kei to scold me for being late. I worked out for just hour and a half but that too helped me out, it was still better than nothing.

I came back home absolutely tired from all the running and hard exercise Kei put me through. All I wanted in the moment was to lie on the bed and sleep forever, that was how much I was tired. I saw the bed in my bedroom but the sweat that was evaporating from me just wouldn't let me even touch the bed; I had to go and shower. The nice shower calmed my tight and tense muscles but was also making me more and more sleepy. When I finished with the shower, my stomach was the second thing that wouldn't let me sleep. I prepared a quick sandwich, had my little dinner, brushed my teeth and finally hit the sheets, falling asleep immediately. The thing I wasn't thinking of was… how will I wake up for tomorrows work if I'm tired like this?! Either way, I was hoping the alarm will wake me up…

…

I slept in! First day of the week and I started it shitty, by turning off the alarm on my phone and sleeping more, just because I was somewhat tired. It was already past 8AM when I managed to get in the train, all tired from running, panting hard.

'_Nami will kill me! She will FREAKIN' kill me! That's it… I'm dead! Goodbye my life. Goodbye my job. Goodbye world…'_, I thought falling desperate on the train seat.

When I reached my destination I once again ran like I was chased by the wild dogs. I reached the company building almost hour and a half late after the starting time. First I pushed the elevator button then checked my business card just in time it opened. Inside, I was praying I don't run into Nami or she will rip my head off.

'_Kowai_…', I cried inside, remembering the last time she scolded Ace for being late. Poor guy almost ended up in hospital. I got out of the elevator quietly and carefully, looking to my both sides every second so I won't spot Nami somewhere. On my desk, the huge pile of papers awaited me.

"Those are the last month analysis. I took the half so these are for you. Make sure you sort and re-check them. Anyways, good morning!", I flinched but turned around at the sound of that voice. Robin was the one standing behind me. I greeted her, barely smiling, and sat down to start my work right away. Sorting the papers wasn't bad but re-checking every single one was a nightmare!

'_I don't see Nami anywhere, I think that's good. As long as she sees me working, she probably won't scold me that much.'_, shivers ran through my body but I quickly shook it off and went back analyzing the work sheets. After some time, Nami, Vivi and Sanji came from the elevator.

"_Otsukaresama deshita_.", Robin bowed to them and took the papers Nami was carrying, "Did the meeting go well?", she asked right after.

"Aa-ah, it was fine. The only thing is... I could barely stay awake.", Nami whined, looking totally worn out. It was so unusual for her to be that way at work. She noticed me but I looked away immediately, getting back to analysis.

"Ohayo [y/n]~! I see you came a bit late this morning.", I froze. Cold sweat hit me. I gathered all the courage to look at her and freaked out as I saw totally messed up Nami. She was still sleepy, could barely keep her eyes open and her hair was messed up, "Ah, don't worry, I am same as you. Curse you, free martini!", she rose her fist, clenching it in front of her face but quickly ran out of energy. Nami just patted me on the shoulder and went to the elevator again, waving to me with a weak and freaky smile when she entered. I was still shocked…

'_I SURVIVED! THANK YOU, FREE MARTINI!'_, I shouted inside, thanking for messed up Nami that won't scold me, but on the other side, I was really sad she was like that first thing in the morning. I had no time for slacking and over-thinking; I had a mountain of work!

…

I came back home yawning, barely keeping myself standing. The agreement for tonight was still on. I just hope I can stay awake the whole time. In the time I came back home, I already had to hit the gym. I was crying and weeping inside, just wanting to rest and take a break, just a little. On the other hand, I haven't seen Zoro all day and it was working perfect for me. I went to work, stayed and my department then came home and there was still no sign of him. That was just what I needed – no Zoro! I arrived at the gym in the appointment time which made Kei's anger fade away a little.

"You've really improved [y/n]. You already know the basic stuff. How about a little more pressure?", he asked bringing another weight.

"That sounds fair… I guess.", I smiled as he fixed the weight on my Lat Pull Down machine. I was a bit scared but determined to try new stuff. As expected, it wasn't easy.

"Come one, pull!", Kei was shouting at me. I really tried my best but it was hard, "Next, you're going on the next level on the Pec Deck machine over there! Do you hear me?! Next level, [y/n], now hurry it up!", he was always like this, encouraging me by shouting in my face.

I will definitely die today, it's meant to be like that! Nami didn't kill me, but these machines will! I was looking at the Pec Deck across me, determined to go there, as it was my favorite machine. Suddenly someone sat on the one machine I was looking at. I couldn't believe my eyes as the person sat and began to exercise, shirtless! I lost my focus and the machine pulled me up as the weight dropped.

"What are you doing?! Focus! Focus, [y/n]!", Kei yelled at me again.

I looked down, not to meet with the eyes of the person across me. It was non-less than my neighbor, Roronoa Zoro, in a flesh! He was working on his chest, sweat dropping from it, the sight any girl would want, but I certainly didn't want to look at him. I was losing my focus ever since I saw him here. I couldn't lift and pull any more, even with Kei's yelling. My trainer sat next to me and pulled the weights, too, trying to motivate me and give me the proper pace. I pulled and pulled, gritting my teeth while doing it, eyes shut tight, sweat drops dripping off my face. When I pulled the last one I let the weights fall as I was panting like I ran a marathon. I looked at my right where Kei was sitting, smiling and giving me the thumbs up. He stood up and went to get some refreshments. I slowly shifted my glance to the front, were certain _green-head muscle man_ was working out, pushing the handles on the Pec Deck machine like they were made of gum. The weights were set on the highest level. I was amazed. Our eyes met and I quickly looked away. I didn't want him to think of me badly as he already is.

"Here, you worked hard.", Kei came back, offering me a towel and bottle of water, "Take a break, rest a little. You're not gonna do the Pec Deck tonight, I was just kidding. We will do it tomorrow. For now, you did great.", he said and patted me on the back. But, from my point of view, it was more a hit than a pat.

"If you asked me to do that machine now, I would probably die on it.", I said, wiping the sweat from my forehead. Kei was actually a pretty nice guy and he won't do anything to harm me. I liked that side of him. We laughed at the same time but then Kei looked away, to the place where Zoro was working out.

"Oh, Zoro!", he stood up and went to him. Kei knew Zoro, they used to train together, so he told me. But I never told Kei, I knew Zoro all along. I picked up my water and towel and went to my locker. It was almost time for me to leave and prepare myself for the party tonight. Friends asked me to leave the gym a bit earlier than 9PM, so that we can have more fun.

I collected all of my stuff and got ready to leave. As I closed my locker, I saw Zoro again, not too far away, picking his own stuff and wiping himself with his towel. I had to pass him to exit the locker room. I can just act as I don't know him, even though that would be extremely hard. I swallowed and '_just let it go_' – I passed Zoro without any words, looking at the floor. He didn't say anything nor did he do anything, just kept looking through his bag. I felt like shit… I don't know why. The scene seemed like we don't know each other but I was super nervous inside. The wound was still fresh – we had a fight just yesterday, and for this it takes time… I know I need time to heal from it. Not seeing Zoro was awesome but he can't just disappear from this world, I will always see him, somewhere.

Kei greeted me out reminding me I had to level up the next Pec Deck machine tomorrow. I really didn't need that reminder. That only put more stress on me. Now, I need to get ready for the party. I walked to home, breathing the fresh summer night air. It was really relaxing and calming than the gym I was in just now. I sighed, reminding myself to '_just let go_' of Zoro. I was repeating Usopp's quote over and over again, just to forget about him… but it was futile. Zoro will always be the part of my life, one way or another. When I got home, I took a shower, found clothes, did my make up and all that in time for me to leave because my phone rang with a familiar voice on the other side.

"_[y/n]! Are you ready girl?! Let's hit the road! Woohoo!"_, Nami was shouting. I just responded with "_I'll be right there_", not wanting to get involved with her telephone screaming. I needed my ears, thank you.

Ace and Sanji came with their cars but I decided to ride with Sanji, because the group in the other car was certainly crazy. Ace, together with Nami, Vivi and Luffy, was leading the way, driving like a maniac. Nami wasn't joking that day when she yelled at him for his driving. In the end, we all ended in a karaoke club, booking the room just for us. Nami and Ace ordered a huge stack of drinks – beer, cocktails, old Japanese sake, sodas and juices for those who don't like alcohol. As expected, Nami sang first, choosing a very catchy and funky song. She was really letting loose, being that Nami you can't see very often. After her, Ace sang, then Sanji, Luffy joined too and… sang with his own style. Vivi was too shy so they picked on me. Being permissive as I am, I had to sing. I picked a nice ballad that also had its rhythm and a slight beat. It was time for me to let my voice out. I was quite nervous, I must admit. The song really suited me and I sang it with ease and enjoyment. The only odd thing was… I was still thinking about Zoro especially while singing the ballad. He totally messed up my mind. How long will I keep up with this? It really started to bother me. When I was done a huge applause awaited me. They all liked my singing so that made me extra happy and put my Zoro thoughts aside for now. Luffy grabbed the mic and started singing again - to be different from me and lighten up the mood he picked a fast song.

"I didn't know you can sing that well, [y/n]-san!", Sanji shouted to my ear so that I can hear him from all Luffy's screaming and Ace's and Nami's cheering.

"There are plenty other stuff you still don't know about me!", I shouted back at him with a wink. Sanji just smiled and we went to cheer up for Luffy.

…

Karaoke party ended late at night but Nami wanted to party more. Vivi and Ace barely dragged her from the bar next door. Nami was one serious and dangerous drinker. Even for a girl, she could drink quite much but seeing her drunk was both extremely funny and bit sad. The group again split into 2, same people forming one group. Luffy was already sleeping tightly.

"Ace, make sure you bring Nami-san safe to her home, okay?", asked Sanji while we were going to his car.

"Don't worry, Sanji-san, she will be safe. I haven't had any drink beside soda. I'll drive carefully. This time for sure.", said Ace and winked.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaceeeeeee~, let's go and partyyyyyyyyy~!", shouted Nami from the back seat of Ace's convertible, "Viviiiiiiiiiii~! I love youuuuu~!", she tried to hug her while Vivi tried to put Nami under control, "[y/n]~! Sanji-kyuuuuuun~! You two lovebirds~! Make sure you get to work tomorrow!", she scolded us with drunk voice.

We just smiled and waved at them as they left the parking.

"Nami-san sure is lively tonight.", said Sanji with a smile, "She even called me '-_kyun'_!", now he has gone insane, happily spinning around. He made me giggle and quickly stopped, "Shall we go now, too?", I nodded and we left off too.

Sanji said he wanted to show me something great so we rode to the highest point of the town, to the hill. The view out there was amazing!

"You were right, this is something really awesome!", I said approaching the railing on the hill's edge. Lights of the town seemed like little fireflies, making the scenery really beautiful and magical.

"[y/n]-san…", Sanji cut the silence and made me look at him, "I will be straight forward with you and tell you this right away.", he took a deep breath, took my hand and looked me in the eyes, "[y/n]-san… I like you!"

* * *

_To be continued..._


	5. Chapter 5

_Woohoo! I finally did it! I manage it in time to submit! *happy dance* Okay, on the main thing..._

_Sorry for a bit longer chapter this week, I needed to explain some things and I hope you'll get the same picture as I do when I was imagining all this._

_**Japanese meanings Notes:**_

_-**Gomen** - short form and less formal version of "gomenasai", meaning "I'm sorry"._

_-**"Ma ii, just go back to work!"** - in this contest "ma ii" means "whatever", while "ii" alone means "good", so don't mistake it._

_-**Onee-san/Nee-san** - older sister, adding "O" makes it more formal._

_-**Kakkoii** - cool/awesome._

_-**Hai** - yes/yeah._

_-**Taichou** - military Captain._

_-**Takoyaki** - popular Japanese ball-shaped snack, with octopus meat and other ingredients (for more info check the wiki). They are most of the time put in **takoyaki boats**._

_-**Okaerinasai** - Japanese greeting, longer (and more formal) version of "okaeri", meaning "welcome back/welcome home"._

_-**Itadakimasu** - Japanese saying when starting a meal._

_-**Chibi** - something small, young, short person or small child._

_**Summary from the previous chapter**: All Zoro wanted is to apologize for stuff he's done to you so he dragged you to his apartment to do so. You didn't accept his apology as you were so hurt, you just couldn't. You stated your thoughts and left. To forget about Zoro, you, Nami and Vivi went on a date in the Mall. You told them that you had some "misunderstanding" with Zoro but you didn't tell the whole thing. Nami was already suspicious about you liking Zoro but you somehow cover it all up with a story. And just when you thought you won't see Zoro you saw him in the gym, working out shirtless. That was hard for you. After gym you got out with friends from the company, had a great time and suddenly... Sanji confessed to you..._

* * *

Everything was quiet. The feeling in my apartment was dead - quiet and with no lights. I silently left the bathroom after the refreshing shower, in my underwear and a towel around my neck. I was trying to clear my thoughts but the harder I tried to forget, the more those thoughts stayed, eating my brain. The only hard sound that filled the entire room was me, crashing onto my bed. I buried my face into the pillows and stayed silent for some time. Silent overwhelmed again. The certain thoughts rushed inside my brain, starting to make my head hurt. I was sad for one clear reason – being stupid and hurting people with my idiocy.

'_Sanji confessed to me and yet I…_', I gripped the pillow harder, my nails hurting. I stayed sad, looking at one spot, blinking for few seconds.

'_[y/n]-san…_', Sanji's voice came to my mind along with the scene, '_I will be straight forward with you and tell you this right away._', I closed my eyes, _'[y/n]-san… I like you!_', those words echoed. I could still hear his voice, feel his touch and see his face even with eyes closed; the scenery was not leaving my mind. The words that followed were supposed to calm me…

'_And because I do, I don't want to see you hurt and sad._', he said still holding my hand. I held my hand, remembering all of it. But instead of calming me, that sentence made me sadder than I was. But, no matter how sad I was, I couldn't cry. Sanji is a wonderful guy, he hasn't hurt me at all, but I feel like hurt. I feel sad, but I can't cry, though I cried for Zoro in the past.

When Sanji was saying all that, I stayed silent, looking at him but when he was done, I couldn't face him. Instead, I looked at the ground, slowly pulling out my hand he was holding.

'_Sanji… I… you always help me… and so, I always considered you as a great and helping friend. I... I'm sorry but… I can't answer your feelings…'_, I said and with that sentence flashing in my mind I buried my face in the pillow again. I wanted to scream. I wanted to forget. I wanted to solve this thing I obviously considered a problem.

Sanji apologized to me then and we silently went home. Neither of us spoke a word until we arrived at my building. With "_good night_" we ended the date, leaving with sad and dull faces.

And so, here I am now, on my bed, trapped in my own thoughts.

"Why am I so stupid?", I whispered to myself and closed my eyes again, now drifting off to sleep.

…

My working day started like any other, this time on schedule. Surprisingly, I was the first one to come to the company so I sat to my desk and started working right away. I greeted everyone with a smile, afraid that my true feelings will somehow come out. When Sanji arrived, I was already done with work and was going to the print office so we met at the elevator opening. We both stayed silent for some time and I cowardly looked at the floor.

"Good morning, [y/n]-san! How are you today?", he asked with a smile. Sanji did an awesome comeback that I certainly didn't expect. I looked at him with surprised eyes.

"G-good morning. I'm fine, thank you for asking. I-if you'll excuse me.", I rushed in the elevator, passing Sanji like he was a molester.

I was embarrassed at my actions and mad at myself for doing such thing! The elevator stopped shortly after I got in. The door opened and I quickly made a comeback, trying to look serious. The one who entered made me look to the side, not to meet his eyes. Zoro was pretending not to see me, he entered and selected the bottom floor like I was invisible. No one spoke a word. We were riding to the same floor, I was just praying not to the printing office because Zoro too was carrying a lot of papers. When we arrived at the bottom floor and when Zoro turned left, I knew we were going to the same place. I didn't want to look like I was following him but I had that weird feeling he is pissed off because I'm behind him.

'_I don't have the time to be scared or to worry about what he thinks! I have a job to complete!'_, I puffed silently and sped up my walk, coming closer to Zoro. I was now walking beside him, turning left to first open the door of the print room. Some other colleagues greeted us and helped with the printing. I haven't looked at Zoro even for a second, wanting to stay strong and move him off my mind. As I had less paper than Zoro, I finished first, streaming out off the room.

'_I guess we will stay silent forever. Not speaking even here, at work…'_, I rushed looking at my feet. Not looking where I was going, I bumped into someone. It was Nami, looking at the papers I did early this morning.

"Oh, [y/n], it's you! I'm just looking at these. Awesome job! I'm just about to go and print them for the archive. You go back to your station and wait for me, I need to go to boss too. Today's pay day.", she winked. I was surprised she was all well after yesterday's drinking.

'_Must be she's too excited we're getting money so she's not on an hangover_…', I sighed because that was Nami, the money lover. I went back to my department and waited, just like she said.

After we received our payment, I dialed my old home number.

"_Hello?_", I heard on the other side. It was Mom's voice. I was really happy to hear her after some time.

"Mom? Hey, it's me.", I said.

"_[y/n]! I'm so glad you called, dear! How are you? Is everything okay there? Are you eating properly?_", that was my Mom, always so concerned about me.

"Yes, Mom, everything's fine, don't worry. I need to be quick, I'm calling from work."

"_Oh, what is the matter, dear?"_

"Listen, I just received my payment. I'll ask my colleague to send you half via mail. Postman will give you one piece of paper that you need to go to post office to receive the money, okay? It would probably get there today.", I explained. Nami gave me a "_thumbs up_". There was a little silence on the line.

"_[y/n], I already told you not to send so much money, we're okay. But, thank you, for always doing that for us. Don't worry, I'll be home to meet with the postman."_, she said with shaking voice.

"Mom, we already discussed that topic. I am your daughter and I'll help you guys. Oh, and also, text me when you pick up the money, okay? I must go now, I have a lot of work to do. I'll call you."

"_Alright, dear. We will chat more next time. We love you and we're all proud of you, dear. Goodbye now.",_ her voice started to be shaky again. I almost cried myself too.

"Okay, goodbye Mom.", and I hung up.

It was painful but I am already a grown up and I have to realize I'm not the old self who is hanging to my mother… non less, I still missed my home, my family. My father and mother were both employed but they still have some money difficulties and every help was more than great. I helped them every month, as much as I could and they were still paying off my apartment. I doze off into thought but quickly snapped back as I remembered I have new stuff to type out and print afterwards.

…

I finished the most of my work just in time for the lunch break. I was spending my lunch break mostly with Sanji at the bakery he knew. The next option was to eat at the department with the usual group that also included Sanji. I had to decide what to do before it's too late. How to act near Sanji? What to say? It was difficult. The elevator opened and Zoro came in, all by himself. I trailed him with my eyes, even though I didn't want to. He went straight to Robin's desk. My view was cut by someone. I lifted my head to see Sanji standing in front of me. He wasn't wearing his usual and cheerful smile. My heart started beating hard and I was starting to feel nervous.

"[y/n]-san… Can we talk?", he said calmly, with a bit of a sad tone. I nodded and stood up. I slightly turned my head and saw Zoro, looking at us. I turned my head back and followed Sanji. We went to the hallway on the left, where was the "_pause corner_" – a place with several vending machines: with coffee, soda, water, milk etc. Sanji put some coins, pressed the button and two cans with ice-tea came out. He opened one and gave it to me. What came afterwards was that uncomfortable silence. Sanji intentionally made a pause before he started.

"[y/n]-san… What I wanted to talk to you is about what I said last night.", he paused again, my heart started beating faster I was betting Sanji could hear it, "I fully respect your choices and opinions and… I don't want to force anything onto you. I only wanted you to know about my feelings towards you as I can't hide them anymore. I'm sorry if I hurt you, that wasn't my intention. And also... you should know that... I will always be there for you, supporting you in everything you do.", he spoke with nice and calm tone, looking me in the eyes, which is how I figured out he was serious about what he said. I am glad Sanji was being honest with me about that… but I don't want to hurt him by pretending to love him as a man. He is a great friend, that's all.

I looked at opened can of ice-tea in my hands. Can was cold, it was sweating, drops slipping on my fingers. I drew circles on the cans side, not knowing what to say. I had to say something and put my mind at ease. I don't want any more uncomfortable situations with him. I took a small breath and looked at Sanji again. His face never changed. My eyes couldn't stay on him for long, so I looked at the side again, leaning onto the vending machine behind me.

"All my life, I thought I would always be alone, that no one would love me, that no one would care about me. I fell in love couple of dozen times and in the end of every time, I was left alone and disappointed. I fell in love again when I arrived to this town and I'm still struggling to get that love in return. I have trouble with it and I still can't let go… But then, you came… Sanji…", I finally looked at him, "You came to me and confessed. That was supposed to make me happy and yet…", my eyes started to tear. I looked down, trying to hide my face, "I'm a terrible person… You fell in love with me, confessed to me and I… I turned you down!", the tears were now rushing down my cheeks as I was gripping that poor can in my hands. "You now apologize to me and you haven't done anything bad…", I raised my head to him, now face covered in tears, "I should be one to apologize! I hurt you more than I thought! You don't deserve this! S-Sanji… I'm sorry!", I dropped the can on the floor and flew to Sanji's chest. I cried hard. The thing I hated the most in that moment… was myself. I was disgusted with me, my actions and everything I've done. Sanji treated me well, like no other man ever did, and I rejected him like he was just a puny despicable dog. I gripped his shirt and just sobbed. It took him some time, but Sanji wrapped his arms around me and let me cry. He didn't say anything; he just hugged me tightly, pressing his cheek on the top of my head. We stood there, I don't know for how long, but I know it took me some time to settle down.

After some time, my cry finally became silent. I wiped my tears, slowly backing off of Sanji. He placed his hands on my shoulders to make some free space between us. I still couldn't look at him.

"[y/n]-san, are you okay?", Sanji asked and I slightly nodded.

"Sanji… _gomen_…", I took a pause and looked at him. Sanji shook his head and looked me in the eyes.

"No, I'm sorry. I was too selfish, thinking only about myself and my feelings. I should've stopped and reconsider my words.", he said, trying to make me feel better. Instead, I was feeling worse.

"Sanji, no! I am sorry! I'm sorry for doing this to you, even though you were treating me well. But I…", I looked to the side, now free of Sanji's hands as I took a step back.

"I'm already aware… of the guy you like.", he said, making me turn my head back to him. Sanji was now the one looking to the side, his face was sad. I stared like a little girl, surprised on his words, "I know… and that's why I thought it would be the best if you were with me, instead of being hurt by him. But, whatever is your choice," he looked at me again, now with a warm smile, "I will always be there to support you and protect you. I swear. I just want you to be happy, [y/n]-san."

"Sanji….", I couldn't say anything else.

"So, now, let's forget about everything!", he smiled wider, "Let's just be happy and enjoy life! Let's be friends again!", he then calmed down and came to me, still smiling. He reached his hand to me and wiped one last tear drop below my right eye, "Tears don't suit you, so don't ruin your beautiful face with them anymore. Just smile, because your smile is your treasure.", he smiled at me, sweeter than ever. I forced a weak smile, still feeling a bit sad.

"You two there!", the familiar voice stroke us behind. Sanji and I carefully looked to the source. It was Nami, and she was steaming with anger. We both froze in place, "What in the world are you doing here, instead of working?! Lunch break is far from over! You both have piles of work! And what's that spilled on the floor?!"

"We're sorry!", we both bowed but Nami was still growling.

"It was me, Nami-san! I accidentally dropped the can. And, please don't be mad at [y/n]-san, I dragged her here so I'll do all the work.", Sanji bowed several times more.

"_Ma, ii_, just go back to work! And it's good there's an employee for this or I would make you clean that stain there!", she turned around marching back to the office.

"Sanji, why—", he cut me before I even finished the thought.

"You had enough for today. Now go to the bathroom and refresh yourself. I'll go on ahead. And remember… smile!", he grabbed me on the shoulders, smiled at me and made me smile too, now not forcing the smile.

Sanji went back to do his work while I turned and went to the bathroom. Sanji made me feel happy again. He was just wonderful. I was happy this problem is now fixed but again… I was still worried about him. Sanji may have that cute smile on his face, but I'm sure he's hurt on the inside. Besides, no one likes being rejected, I know that the best.

I washed my face with cold water couple of times and looked myself in the mirror. My eyes were red from all the crying.

'_A-ah, this is terrible. I look like a zombie. It's good I don't wear any make-up or this would be a disaster!_', I thought and splashed the water on my face again.

I wiped my face, took a couple of deep breaths and exited the bathroom. In the hallway, cleaning lady was already removing spilled ice-tea from the floor. I wanted to apologize so much but I just continued my way. Looking at the front again, I saw Zoro, putting a coin in the vending machine for a can of green tea. I slow down my walk and, while passing him, I looked at the side, not wanting to make eye contact with him. Once away from the "_pause corner_", I rushed to my desk and start my work, trying to stay happy, like Sanji advised.

…

Just as I exited the train, that was driving me back home, my cell phone rang. I fumbled through my purse to find the ringing bastard. Unknown number was on the display. I thought maybe some client was calling but I never give my personal number to company clients.

'_Did Nami change her number again? She's probably calling to scold me more for today…'_, I thought but still decided to answer the call.

"_Oneeeee-saaaaaan~!_", I heard a familiar voice yelling on the other side. It took me a while to figure out who it was.

"M-Mari?", I asked to get sure.

"_Atariii~! You're the best! It's me!"_

"Wh-What are you doing? Why are you calling this late? And when did you change your number?", it was her, my foolish little high school sister. She's a teenager that behaves like a kid, gotta deal with that.

"_Ummm, so many questions. Let's do it like this: you come to the bus station and we'll talk. How about it?",_ she said with a giggle. I couldn't believe my ears. What is she doing on the bus station? Don't tell me…

"You came to this town?!", I shouted but quickly calmed down because numerous people were looking at me weird, like I've gone insane.

"_Whoa, nee-san, you're very skilled at guessing things. Yup, I'm here, waiting for you at… ummm… platform number 6. Where are you?",_ she's been talking natural while I was freaking out on the other side. Why is she here?! It's workday, isn't she supposed to be in school?! What is she doing here?! _"Nee-san?"_, she asked, snapping me out of thoughts.

"I'm on a train station, near my apartment. I have to take a taxi. I'll be there in about 10 minutes. You better be prepared to explain yourself, missy!", and I shut and bumped my phone back in the purse.

I rushed in one of the taxi cars that were standing in front of the station. I gave the driver orders to go to the main bus station as fast as possible. This was both freaking me out and pissing me off. I mean, I love my sister but why a sudden visit? That pisses me off! I have no time to babysit that one kid of a teenager.

"Wait for me here, I'll be back soon.", I said to driver of the taxi when he stopped in front of the gates of the station. Poor guy was frightened by the look in my eyes. Angry as I am, I entered the bus station looking up for platform 6. Once I found the number 5, I lowered my head to see tall blonde teenager girl in her high school uniform, with big pink suitcase, standing on the platform number 6, playing with her cell phone. I couldn't be pissed off anymore. I sighed and smiled happily, I was really glad to see her, after such a long time. Like she could sense my presence, she turned her head from the phone screen to me and smiled wide. She dropped her school bag she had on her shoulder and came running towards me.

"_Onee-saaaaaaaaaaan~!",_ she yelled and ran, not worrying about the people around her. Once she reached me, she literally jumped in my arms.

"Cut it out!", I tried to stop her but I couldn't as I was giggling with her. We stayed in a warm hug for some time but I remembered the taxi-meter increasing the price and pushed Mari away from me, "We'll talk and hug when we get home. Taxi is waiting for us.", I said rushing to her suitcase and throwing the school bag to her. We ran to the taxi just to save the money. We chatted and Mari laughed so loud and so often, the taxi driver was going insane. Drive was fast and once we got out in front of my building Mari stood in amazement of the building size. I rolled my eyes and picked her by the sleeve to get her in.

"_Nee-san_, this place is amazing! I envy you so much!", she squealed pulling her suitcase on the stairs. I checked my mailbox and helped her up.

"Yeah, yeah, it's amazing. Now let's go, I need to get ready for the gym.", I said and pulled the heavy suitcase over the last step, "What do you have in here, for God's sake?!", when I looked at her, she had her oh-God-so-awesome face on again. I just sighed and smiled.

"Th-the gym?! _Kakkoii_! My sis is the coolest!", she jumped around and I tried to control her. Where does she get all that energy from?

"_Hai, hai_, now hurry in the elevator.", she went _fangirling_ about how elevators are cool.

Poor thing, being isolated in our home town must be hard. She never saw a tall building or the elevators and she just knows about the gym class in school. I just watched her with a smile: Mari was amazed by the elevator buttons, the mirrors in there, the floor in it, even the door. Once we got out of the elevator, on the seventh floor where my apartment was, she was again going crazy about the plants in the hallway, and the front doors of the apartments that looked "_so shiny_", like she said. She was even more amazed when I let her in the apartment, exploring it like a little puppy full of energy.

"I don't know where do you get all that energy from, but I will just change in my other clothes and go to the gym, or I'll be late again. When you're ready, go to shower and find yourself something to eat. There are some eggs and salami in the fridge.", I said taking off my clothes while walking. Mari just continued to run around the place. I shook my head, put my sweat suit and sneakers on, took my training bag and went back to her, "I don't want you to leave this apartment while I'm gone, okay? Mari, did you heard me?", she looked like she wasn't paying attention at all. She turned to me and saluted like a soldier.

"_Hai_, [y/n] _taichou_!", she shouted. Mari can always make me smile, "I'll eat, take a shower, arrange my clothes and will not leave this place while you're not here, _taichou_!", I nodded to her like a real Captain and left the apartment.

…

Training in the gym went pretty fast as I mastered a new level on the couple of machines. Kei didn't give me too much to work out, but he did give me hard stuff to work on.

"Ah, my arms are killing me. What is Kei thinking? Does he want me to become a body builder? He's insane! I need to tell him to soften his training on me, this is a murder to my body.", I said alone in the elevator, on my way to my apartment, massaging my muscles and my neck, "I hope Mari's not sleeping, I bought some _takoyaki_.", I said looking at the bag in my hand, getting out of the elevator.

"Hey~ I'm home!", I shouted, taking off my sneakers, "Wow, it's been a while since I said that… Mari, where are you?", I asked, leaving the _takoyaki_ bag on the kitchen counter. I took the water from the fridge and took a gulp. Mari left my bedroom with a towel on. She probably took a shower.

"Kyahaa~! This smells nice! _Takoyaki_?", she said sniffing on the bag but quickly came back, "Oh, sorry… _Okaerinasai_!"

"I'll take a quick shower and then we'll relax and talk.", I said and went to the bedroom, picked up clean clothes and hit the refreshing shower.

When I finished, Mari already served the "_takoyaki_ _boats_" on the living room table. I sat beside her, took one "_boat_" and said "_Itadakimasu_!" with Mari at the same time.

"Mmmm, delicious!", Mari shouted happily, mouth full of octopus snack.

"So, you said in the cab that you're here because of school work…?", I asked after swallowing the bite.

"Yup. I have a school assignment. I have to write about some work place and describe it. So, I picked yours.", she took another snack ball and ate it, "And I have to write it detailed, like some analysis. I don't see the purpose in it.", she puffed and took another little ball.

"It's for your good – to see how does a work place, in this case a company, work. They want you to do it for your future, to learn how is it, working and having a job, to decide what job will you take. Do you understand me?", I explained and took a little snack myself too.

"I think I do… Mah, never mind, I'll be staying here for the next 5 days.", she said all-so-happy again. I just sighed and continued to eat.

"Okay, tomorrow we get up early for work. Be prepared!", Mari just smiled and we ate all the _takoyaki_ balls, watching a movie.

…

The alarm woke me up on the scheduled time. I got dressed, prepared myself and my little sister was still sleeping.

"Come on, sleepy head, we must go!", I shook her but she just grumbled and cover herself over the head, "I'm not waiting for you and if you don't get up, you'll fail the assignment.", I said and took my briefcase while fixing my hair. Mari immediately jumped off the sofa where she was sleeping. She got dressed in her school uniform, took a school bag with notebooks and together we went out, taking the piece of toast with jam on it for a quick breakfast.

"Oh, you have some nice neighbors… especially the green-haired guy next door.", she said skipping in the hallway.

"Wait, what?! You…?", I panicked.

"Yup, I met him. Sorry that I didn't tell you, I went out last night to search for my hairclip that I lost in the hallway. He was just coming from the stairs. Do you like him? Huh? Huh?!", she said looking at me with those_ I-know-you-like-him_ eyes.

"Are you insane?! I don't like that guy! In fact, we don't even talk.", I said all mad, entering the elevator.

"Why?! He is such a nice guy. I think he said he's name is Zoro… or something."

"Yes, it's Zoro. Now stop it, I don't want to talk about him. We are not friends and I don't like him. That's all you need to know.", I almost yelled at her so Mari stayed silent all the time. We managed to get in the train in time and rode it without a word. We finally reached the company, just in time. Mari took out her notebook and a pen.

"Okay, here we go. You okay?", I asked and she nodded with a little smile. We still stood in front of the company.

"This is the company I work in, '_Grand Line'_. When we come in, you will see that we're all connected and work as one family.", we went in and I checked my business card, "This is the reception desk. Every employee has his own business card which we all check in when we come in the morning and check out when we end our shift.", the reception girl greeted us and signed me in and gave my sister a "_guest_" pass.

"On this first floor are the meeting rooms in the left hallway. Those were empty rooms and a cafeteria in the beginning,", I pointed, "and the print office is on the right. Our archive with all the files is also there.", I showed her the right hallway. Mari wrote it all and we entered the elevator. We exited on the next floor.

"Here's the second floor where the secretaries are. They answer the clients' calls and transfer them onto the others. This is like a telephone center.", in that moment boss came in front of us.

"Good morning, [y/n]. Who is this?", Mari and I both bowed.

"Good morning, Sir. This is my sister, Mari, she's here on a tour. She needs to write an essay about our company."

"Oh, in that case, welcome to our company. Have a great time on this tour. And, [y/n], make sure you tell her and show here everything.", he winked and went off.

"That was our boss, Akagami Shanks. He's really nice but also gets very serious about the job. Don't worry, this tour will be okay.", I winked and pulled Mari back in the elevator. We exited on the next, third floor.

"This is our next stop. This floor holds a department that is better known as '_the hot spot'_. Here come all those calls of the clients from downstairs."

"Wait… what is this company about anyway?", she asked, lifting her head off the notebook.

"Hehe, sorry, I forgot to tell you. '_Grand Line'_ is a travel company. People come to us when they need to go on a vacation, business trip and other types of journeys.", she wrote all of that in her notebook, "As I was saying… this floor is where all the business actually begins. We call it a '_hot spot'_ because here come all the orders and people here also find the best destination for vacations aka the best selling and most popular ones.", I said walking with her through the department.

"Yo [y/n]! Wassap? Who's the pretty girl?", said Ace, coming to us.

"Hey! This is my little sis, Mari, she's here on a tour.", I explained and she bowed.

"Ooh, nice. Have a great time here, Mari-chan.", he winked to her and Mari blushed. I poked her in the ribs to snap her out of it.

"Ooi, Ace! Come on here, Zoro needs you!", yelled Luffy from afar. Mari looked at where Luffy is.

"Oh, gotta go. See ya around.", said Ace and ran away.

"Oi, _chibi_, what are you looking at? Ace? Luffy? You're still a high school brat so don't drool over my colleagues!"

"Did he just said… Zoro?", Mari still looked at the same direction. I just sighed as I knew what was coming, "It's the same Zoro from next door, right?", she looked at me, "You… you two work at the same company, right? Am I right, [y/n]? [y/n]?!"

"Yes, Mari, he works here! I don't want to talk about him! Are you here for your essay or to look for him?!", I marched to the elevator, leaving her confused in the middle of the department hallway. The last thing I wanted is to meet with Zoro while Mari is here. I didn't want to meet him at all!

"Here's the department where I work – the analysis floor.", I said as we came to the 4th floor of the company, "Here, all the data and destinations picked from the floor below come. We analyze them here completely – what hotels are in that place, the best prices, even the employees that work at some certain hotels or resorts. Here, the most data comes and we provide everyone with the most and detailed information. "

"[y/n], are you ready for work?!", I heard the voice shouting. Nami was at Sanji's desk shouting at me.

"I need about 30 more minutes. I'm doing a tour here!", I shouted back but Nami just rolled her eyes and continued to talk to Sanji, "That's Nami, she's the financial department's chief that also comes to help here. The guy she's talking to is Sanji and that woman over there is our department chief, Robin.", I showed her the people around and we continued on the next floor.

"This, fifth floor is the marketing one. Now here, all the data we analyzed in our department come where employees make them into fliers, catalogs and sometimes even billboards. People who work here even work on our web page and update it daily. I love this department. It's the most fun here: they work in many editing programs on the computer, creating lots of stuff. I wish I could transfer here."

"Hey, [y/n], you got something for us?", I heard the voice coming from my left side. It was Marco, the tall blonde guy who worked at this department floor, also Ace's best friend. He came to us, carrying the large stack of fliers.

"Hey, Marco. Nope, not today. I'm holding a tour for my sister. This is Mari, she's writing an essay about our company.", I introduced her and Mari bowed.

"Nice to meet you, lil' sis, have fun here. Although I think we're a rather boring company but please try your best. I need to go now, excuse me.", and he went off. Mari really surprised me, she was silent all the time and she's not usually like that. She likes to drool over hot guys and she had a lot of them in this company. I'm guessing that _fangirling_ awaits me when we come home. We went to the next floor.

"This is the financial department floor. Nami's the chief here. This is the busiest department where all the employees must be super concentrated and not miss a thing. Here's all about numbers and the most skilled people work here.", I said waving to Vivi in the back of the office. Mari looked at her, "That's Vivi. She's Nami's secretary and a very nice girl.", I ended. We came back to the elevator but instead of going to the next floor, we went to the building rooftop.

"Why didn't we stop at the eighth floor?", Mari asked as I skipped the number and pressed the top floor button – the roof.

"That floor is boss' floor. His main office is there. That's where he invites his clients and visitors. He has a huge lounge there but it's no big deal of a floor, so we'll skip it. The ninth floor is empty and boss thinks about making it into archive floor because the archive room in the first floor is really getting filled with all the papers.", we finally exited at the rooftop. Hard wind was blowing so Mari had to guard her notebook and skirt.

I explained that this was a place for pauses. There was a little basketball field where guys mostly play, some benches and trashcans. Most of the people who work at the company come here on a lunch break or just any break from work. Mari looked around a little and we got back to my department where she wrote everything and I began my work day properly.

…

"So, Mari-chan, how was your tour?", asked Sanji giving Mari her bag.

"Ooh, it was amazing! This place is so fun, so awesome, so great! I would like to work here! Especially at the marketing department!", her eyes sparkled. Sanji and I had to giggle.

"Today was a really fun day with you. Thank you for all the help.", Sanji added pressing the elevator button for us. This workday was over.

"It was my pleasure!", Mari bowed with a smile. She really enjoyed being with us today and she helped out a lot.

"Well, when you finish high school and college, you might get a job here.", Nami winked at her handing some papers over to Sanji. Mari's eyes widen as she began to feel excited.

"Nami, please stop, she's still young. Well, see you all tomorrow.", I waved to them, dragging the excited sister in the elevator. The ride was short as the elevator stopped at the floor below. The door opened and I guessed right who was going to enter. Zoro frowned before he entered the elevator, stepping in front of us. I took a step back and looked at the side, frowning too.

"Ah, Zoro-san! _Otsukaresama deshita! Nee-san_ never told me so I was surprised when I found out you two work at the same company. Since you're neighbors, this is a bonus. It's so crazy. How was your day?", Mari just started and that was the last thing I wanted – her to talk to Zoro. I was clenching my fists, mad that I can't stop her. It was now too late, she already started the conversation.

"It was busy… as always. And what are you doing here?", he asked calmly and Mari stepped to the front now standing beside Zoro.

"Ah, I'm doing an assignment for school. I need to write about some company or a work place and this was the best thing!", she blushed. I looked at her happy face, it was too happy, like she was flirting with Zoro.

"I see… Hope you got some valuable information for your work.", Mari nodded happily and continued to chat with Zoro. The elevator ride seemed endless. All I wanted in the moment was to get away from Roronoa and drag my foolish sister along with me.

"So, I heard you and _nee-san_ don't talk to each other. Why is that?", and there was it – the forbidden question. I looked at Zoro and our eyes met. No one said a word. In the moment of silence, the elevator door opened and I grabbed Mari by the sleeve, pulling her out. "H-Hey, [y/n], wait. Wh-why are you pulling me like that?! Ooi!", I checked my card and pulled her out of the company.

"Follow me to the station without a word.", I said with my teeth tightly clenched.

We rode home, again, without a word. Mari followed me while I was marching to home. Once we got in the apartment and I shut the door, I came to her and slapped her on the cheek.

"Don't you EVER ask that AGAIN! Don't you EVER interfere in my life and my social problems AGAIN! Why I don't talk with Zoro is my problem and you don't need to know anything beside what I already told you! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!", I really snapped and yelled at her, panting after that. Mari held her swollen cheek with her left hand, looking me with wide eyes filled with tears. She then looked down and silence came up.

"I understand… I won't do such thing anymore.", she let go of her cheek and went to the bedroom. I didn't say anything and just went to cook us some dinner which we ate in silence. We both fell asleep and I skipped gym.

…

Week days passed, Mari came with me to work every day, collecting some more info. She was forcing a smile every time. She didn't mention Zoro at all and the two of us were just talking when needed. Even that she was near, I felt like we were both distant, after what I did that night.

The weekend came and I finally got a chance to relax from work. Mari was helping me with a Saturday lunch. We were again just keeping it silent. The only source of a bit louder sound was TV and the knives and plates we used in the kitchen. Mari said she invited someone for lunch so I borrowed a table and three chairs from lady Ishikawa. Mari set the food on the table and I was left to do the salad and the drinks.

"_Nee-san_, you better go and get ready. The guest will be here soon. I'll finish that.", she said with the calm voice she was using all these days. I ran to the bathroom to take a shower and get dressed. In the middle of my dressing I heard voices talking. When I got out of the bathroom, the man's voice was familiar to me. Once I stepped into the living room, he was already sitting at the table. Zoro was that "_guest_" Mari was talking about. I looked at her spinning my apartment keys around her finger, with a bag on her shoulder.

"I said I won't interfere… but I just can't stand seeing you two mad at each other! You need to settle things up.", she said.

"I'm leaving.", Zoro got up.

"No! Zoro-san, you're not going anywhere. I'm going!", she said and went to the door.

"Mari! Where are you going?!", I shouted and ran to her but she was already in the hallway, behind the door, showing me the apartment keys.

"I'm going to Nami-san! And you're not going anywhere too. I'll lock you up. You must become friends again!", she said and slammed the door locking it. I ran to it, trying to open but it was already too late.

'_Oh, this is just great… I'll kill her once she comes back! She's acting like a rebellion, that kid! And I told her not to interfere. Now… the problem is… I'm locked... with Zoro… What now?'_

* * *

_To be continued..._


	6. Chapter 6

_Ah, otsukaresama~ Another chapter is here! I really love it, although it took me some time to write it. Let's get onto business:_

_**Summary from the previous chapter: **__Sanji confessed to you and that really bothered you because you consider his just as a friend and nothing else. You felt bad for turning him down but he comforted you, accepting your decision. At work you and Zoro were still silent to each other. After work you had a call and your sister, Mari, called from the bus station because she came to town. She had to do an essay about the company you work in so you gave her a tour. She also mentioned to Zoro your fight with him so you got angry and scolded her. Mari kept silent, never mentioning Zoro again until one Saturday lunch when she secretly invited him over and locked you two in your apartment._

* * *

I was facing the door, unable to open it. I was still holding the handle, like I was waiting for the right moment but Mari never came back, she locked the door for real. She was serious. I sighed and let go of the doorknob. Mari played the game too well, pretending that she doesn't care about the relationship between me and Zoro. I was now in a trap! I had to do something. I finally got it!

I ran past Zoro and into my bedroom, grabbed my purse and spilled everything that was inside, out on the bed.

'_They must be here somewhere!'_, I thought looking through all the stuff I had there, _'Shit! Not here!'_, then I ran to the little closet near the door where I was hanging my jackets and searched in the pockets. There was nothing to be found.

'_Don't tell me… She even took my spare keys?!'_, I was now pissed off. I ran to my bedroom again, passing Zoro like he wasn't there. Looking on the bed again, I couldn't find my cell phone either, _'She took my phone too?! That girl is insane! I'll kill her!'_, I was boiling inside. But the hope still wasn't lost as I got my apartment phone and dialed her cell phone number.

"_The person you have called is currently unavailable. Please try later. Thank you.",_ said the recorded telephone central secretary.

'_I don't want to fucking try later!'_, I hung up but came with another idea – to call my own cell phone.

"_The person you have call-",_ and I hung up again. This was completely driving me crazy.

'_That kid… When I see her I'm gonna—'_

"No use, huh?", came Zoro's voice behind me, bringing me back from my thoughts. I almost forgot he's here. I looked at him and nodded.

"She took my spare keys, my cell phone, turned it off along with her phone. She's a devil.", I said, leaving the phone on its stand.

"Didn't she say she's going to Nami? Did you call her?", Zoro gave me the awesome idea! I dialed Nami's number and waited… no one was answering.

"That brat! I'm gonna kill her!", I slammed the phone back on the stand.

"One thing's for sure – I don't like this situation at all", Zoro said.

"Well, if you don't like it then I hate it!", I was now completely pissed off. A little pause for thinking was now in the room.

"Well, we can always try the police or firefighters…", Zoro said calmly. I sighed looking at him.

"I don't want to make a scandal out of this, you know! And even if they come, they'll break the door which I have to pay to get it fixed.", I said leaning to the counter behind me.

"I can always break the door…"

"Didn't you just heard what I said?!", I yelled but Zoro just kept it calm. Looking at him I calmed down too, "I guess we're trapped…"

"If only you had a balcony from your bedroom I could easily jump over to my apartment.", he said and I sighed again.

"Well, sorry that I'm poor and don't have a fancy balcony from my bedroom.", I looked at the ground trying to figure out a way out of here. Some solution must exist…

"Don't blame me, your sister invited me here, telling me that you wouldn't be here.", he said.

"You were going to hit on my sister, huh?"

"Hah, as if. She's just a kid. Who do you think I am? I'm not interested in kids.", he said, frowning even more.

'_In what are you interested, exactly? I guess you don't know it yourself…'_, I thought moving my glance from Zoro to the window.

Silence once again came up. Zoro was sitting at the table, arms crossed and I was standing, leaned to the kitchen counter with my arms crossed, too. My stomach suddenly started to hurt. I looked at all that delicious food on the table and sighed. I can't starve to death just because the guy I'm in fight with is here.

"Well, since the situation is like this and all this food is prepared… let's eat. I don't want to waste all this food and the time I took preparing it.", I sat across Zoro, taking the fork.

"Are you sure I can…?", Zoro started, taking off his arms a little.

"Well, this food WAS prepared for the guest… that means you. Now stop asking things and eat before it gets too cold.", I said taking one chicken leg. Zoro silently took one fish fillet, trying to be polite and not to stuff his plate too much. We both ate in silence, slowly, not looking at each other. Time was passing and it was already afternoon when we finished eating. We finished in approximately the same time and then I noticed… our glasses were empty.

"Can I?", Zoro asked, making me raise my head to him. He was reaching for the bottle of wine on the middle of the table.

"Sure, help yourself.", I nodded to him but sadly looked at my empty glass.

"And you? Wine or..?", Zoro asked again.

"Yeah, I would have wine, thanks.", I said but wanted to punch myself!

'_You idiot! You had water and juice here! Why are you drinking wine?!'_, my thoughts yelled at me.

I haven't even noticed it but, Zoro stood up and came to me. Standing behind me, leaning to the front, he slowly poured the wine in my glass. I was like frozen on that chair. I could barely breathe and with every small breath I took, I was taking a piece of Zoro's hard cologne that dominated over air around me. Soon, my nostrils were filled with his perfume and the smell drove me over the cliff. I dared myself and looked to the side where Zoro was standing. My eyes were glued to his neck and the collarbone that was slightly showing because of his unbuttoned shirt. That first two buttons that were off were enough to reveal just a piece of Zoro's fine abdomen. I could look at it forever. I caught myself staring and quickly snapped back. Zoro finished pouring the wine just in that moment. I nodded to him in "_thanks_" and took the glass, pretending to drink, just to hide my face. Zoro also took a gulp of wine and enjoyed it. The feelings were returning to me... those damn warm feeling. I fell in the trap again. This time… it was Zoro.

"You mentioned earlier…", Zoro began and I let go of my glass, "You said that you don't want to waste food.", I nodded to him, "I just remembered… You sounded just like that blond amateur cook."

"Sanji?", now Zoro nodded and took another sip of red wine.

"Yeah… he would use to say that every time we went to the cafeteria in college.", I was surprised to his words.

"You two… went to college together?", I asked taking my glass again.

"Yeah, we did. And every single time we ordered food he would yell at me that I MUST eat everything from my plate. Others would laugh but I was surely pissed off at him. We are fighting ever since. Not just over food, we're fighting over such small matters that annoy me so much. People say we're good friends but I seriously doubt about it…", he went silent, looking at the side. For some reason, I was sad, "And in the end, we thought we were going on separate ways but instead… we ended up working at the same place.", Zoro didn't say anything more than this. He was looking to the side or in his glass, spinning it slowly.

'_I guess he only needs one thing…_', I thought and looked at him again. I was still sad.

"Crap, I went and spoke too much.", Zoro took his glass and filled it with wine again. I stayed silent. For some reason, I wanted to help him, "But the other day…", I looked at him, "I saw you and the blonde by the vending machines. You were crying?", I think I blushed terribly at that moment.

"You… You were eavesdropping?! ", I shouted and Zoro back off a little.

"No way, I'm certainly not like that. I just came to get a can of green tea but when I saw you two, I went back. I came to buy it after Nami scolded you. Anyways… Why do I need to hear your sobs?", he said shamelessly.

"Zoro… you…", I was starting to get mad.

"Oi, don't get mad. I just didn't want to interrupt. I won't make the same mistake I did in the past.", I settled down, "And also… hearing you cry made me uncomfortable for some reason. That's why I back off."

'_He… changed…'_, I was really surprised, _'I guess this is a new Zoro. Now's the question… how will our relationship go on?'_

The Sun was already setting so I had to turn on the lights. We again sat in silence and drank the wine. Soon, the whole bottle was empty.

"Oh, we overdid it. It's empty.", I said feeling a little dizzy, shaking the empty bottle in my hand.

"Yeah I guess we did. Hey, do you maybe…", Zoro started but stopped himself and didn't finish the sentence.

"What's the matter? Say it.", I demanded slamming the bottle back on the table.

"Well, I guess it turned out to be a habit…", I looked at him with confused look, "I wanted to ask… do you have any beer?", the surprises from him wouldn't stop hitting me. I had to smile. It was the first smile ever since we were locked in and I don't think it was the alcohol that made me smile.

"Hehe, I think it's a habit for me too.", I stood up and went to the fridge. Zoro looked at me, "No matter how much food I have in the fridge, it still feels empty if I don't have few bottles of beer.", I smiled, took two bottles and showed them to Zoro. He smiled too, in the nicer way possible. I blushed again, feeling my cheeks burning a little. I opened the bottles, handed him one and sat on my chair again.

"The food was delicious and this beer is just perfect ending to all of it.", he said and took a large gulp.

"You're absolutely right.", I was happy now. We brought back everything, all the memories now emerged and that nice and cozy feeling when we drink the beer together was again taking over my being. I took my beer but stopped just before my lips touched the lid. I looked at the sofa and a great idea came to my mind… it was just that I was a little scared to do it.

_'Zoro wouldn't mind it… would he?_', I looked at him. Zoro was leaned back on his chair, drinking the beer with pure enjoyment. I took a deep breath, stood up from my chair and went to Zoro. He looked at me and I smiled, knocking my bottle at his.

"It not fair to drink this way.", I said but Zoro just looked at me all confused, "Come on, don't act so stupid. Let's sit there,", I pointed to the sofa with my free hand, "and drink while relaxing… like we used to.", I winked. Zoro formed his usual grin of enjoyment and stood up, following me to the spot. He went and sat first, on the seat near the window and I sat on my usual, other side of the sofa. I finally got the chance to relax my muscles.

"Aaaah, this is the best thing… drinking the beer at night with my neighbor…", I said tilting my head to the back.

"O-oi, are you drunk or something?", Zoro stopped drinking and looked at me. The look on his face made me laugh, I couldn't stop myself.

"Hahaha, you ask some weird questions, Zoro… I miiiiight be drunk…", I got serious, "but for this I'm not joking…", and then went crazy again, came to Zoro and started patting him hard on the back, "You are my favorite neighbor! We're cool, we're cool.", I widen my grin. I was truly feeling nice and great with Zoro.

"That Sunday…", he started.

"Ooooh, I didn't hear you~! I don't know any Sunday!", I was goofing around again but came serious again, remembering what I said that day. I sat silently beside Zoro, looking at my bottle, "You know… I was truly hurt by you and I reacted. I spilled it all out because I thought I was given a chance to speak my mind.", I made a pause, spinning the bottle in my hands, "What I really wanted is for you to see and understand how I feel, to sometimes think about my feelings. I wanted… I wanted you to know… The truth is, I meant all that words but… I also think I hurt you with them. And… I'm sorry. I was only trying to defend myself…", the silence came up once again. Neither of us spoke a word, neither of us moved or even looked at each other. We just sat there. The breathing was the only sound that mixed with the ticking clock on the wall.

"You shouldn't apologize.", Zoro began and I looked at him. He was looking in the clock on the opposite wall, "I'll admit it… I expected those words of hate. I knew you wouldn't forgive me that easily. But, I tried… I remembered that saying: "_Better late than never_" and with that and the guilt suffocating me, I stepped over my pride and apologized. And I'll say it once again…", he switched his eyes to me, "I'm sorry… for everything I've said and done… I'm sorry… you're not the person who deserves hate and those nasty insults.", he ended, still looking me right in the eyes.

"Zoro…", I said silently, but being so close to him, I knew he heard it. In one point, Zoro sounded like Sanji, but was still his old self. All I wanted at that moment was to jump in his arms but… I couldn't dare myself to do such thing. I only looked at his eyes, his always so piercing black eyes that were now full of kindness, dark eyes that now felt so warm. Not looking away, I heard Zoro's right arm that was on the sofa's back, slowly coming closer to me. I gripped my bottle of beer, slowly shifting my glance from Zoro's eyes to his lips. It felt so close, the moment was pure perfection.

'_Is it alright for me to do this? Is it okay if we…'_, I slowly leaned forward, coming closer to Zoro, once again inhaling his strong, manly cologne. I heard his right arm lifting up from the sofa and coming to my back. In that moment I knew my heart ran faster than a racing horse. I clearly awaited the moment. I knew Zoro was aiming for the same.

Just about when our faces were centimeters away from one another, I heard the front door unlocking. I stood up fast and went to the table, breaking the moment.

"Yooo~! I'm back! Did you guys make up? Is everything okay?", my sister opened the door and came to me, with a weirdest grin ever.

'_Stupid kid! Now from all the times… ?! Why didn't you stay out?! Why did you come back NOW?!'_, I was clenching my teeth, picking the plates up from the table.

"So? Why aren't you guys saying anything…? Is it that… you're still mad at each other?", she sighed in despair and sat on the chair, "Ah, can't be helped… I did all I could… this sucks…", she said and took a piece of bread.

"Heh, don't worry little kid,", came Zoro's voice from the behind so I closed my eyes and bit my lower lip, "your sis has softened up. We're okay now. Right… [y/n]?", he said my name with a higher proud-like tone. I smiled and turned around, leaving the plates on the table again.

"That's half of the story… Zoro.", I grinned at him and came back to confused Mari, "You know, sis, Mr. Zoro here has soften up himself too. Am I right... Zoro?", I imitated him. Zoro smiled at me and I blushed, I was sure of that. I couldn't look at him anymore.

"Ah, what a relief… I can go back home now with no worries. Mission complete, no doubt!", she said and happily hopped from the chair. She went to Zoro and pulled him up from the sofa, "And now, that everything's okay… let's have one last dinner, all together, like it was supposed to!", she put Zoro on his seat, pushed me on mine and she sat on the third chair.

Mari apologized for what she's done but Zoro just smiled at me, make me want to smile back at him. My sister was hinting something but I safely covered it up… or so I hoped. Mari was forgiven for her actions and with that we dined with laughter, jokes and good food. It all ended very late and Mari was already sleepy. While she was in the shower I greeted Zoro out.

"Well…", he started.

"Well…", I only repeated the word. I was too shy to look him in the eyes but I had to say something more, "I'm sorry for that. Mari came in and…"

"Nah, it's okay. It's not your fault to begin with.", he said calmly, making me relaxed, "The lunch turned out into dinner and it was really something nice. Homemade food is the best, after all, and you two did it well."

"T-thanks…", my cheeks were burning again. Zoro was praising me and I didn't know how to react to it.

"Also…", he started again, making me look at him, "now I know how the situation is… and don't worry, I won't tease you. However…", he leaned to me and came to my ear, "we will surely finish what we started. I never do things half done.", he went back and smiled. This was really surprising and not like the Zoro I knew. I was a bit scared as my heart raced fast.

"Good night now. We'll see each other at work on Monday. Spend the whole day tomorrow with your sister, as she's leaving. Bye.", he smiled one last time and went to his apartment. I stood there in amazement, slowly reaching my ear where Zoro whispered to me just now. Weird feelings of pleasure were taking over me. I guess I was happy and… madly in love, not being aware of it.

"How long are you gonna stand there?", came Mari's voice behind me, snapping me out of my fantasy. I smiled nervously to her, closed the door and went back inside. We cleaned the table, washed the dishes and put the leftover food into fridge. Mari set up her bed and went to sleep right away while I went to take a shower. Time in the shower and the hot water made me think about this night. Whenever I would think about Zoro and whenever his face comes to my mind, nice feelings take over me, lifting me up in the clouds.

'_I can't lie to myself anymore… I'm in love with Zoro!'_

…

The whole Sunday was about me and my sister. We went together everywhere: shopping at the Mall, pool, walk in the park, eating pastries, ice-cream etc. But the day went just too fast, she already needed to go to the bus home.

'_I can't believe that I'll really miss that little brat.'_, I thought turning away, once Mari's bus exited the station, away from my view.

I got off the station and went to the market to buy groceries for the upcoming week. Since Mari went home I didn't have to buy much food. I bought vegetables, some meat, snacks and stopped in front of beer stand. I remembered the last night: Zoro and me, drinking in silence, feelings taking over me, our faces so close… In that moment I think I squealed slightly in the middle of the store and some people looked at me, gossiping with each other. I quickly took couple bottles of beer and went to the cash register to pay for all. I came back home by city bus, hands full of bags with food and drinks. When I exited the elevator I met lady Ishikawa's older son, Hiroshi. Hiroshi was few years older than me, very tall and muscular because he was a regular basketball player.

"Hey, [y/n], I was just looking for you.", he said as I came to my door, "Here, let me help you with those.", he said and took all the bags in his hands.

"Thanks, Hiroshi, you're a savor.", I said and unlocked the door, "So, what do you need me for?"

"Mom asked for the table. I was looking for you earlier…", he said laying down the bags on my kitchen floor.

"Ah, sorry about that! I was with my sister the whole day. She just got on the bus to go home. Do you need help with that?", I said pointing to the table.

"This is not a job for a girl. I'll call Dad.", Hiroshi said and called Mr. Ishikawa who helped him get the table out. I once again apologized for the delay and then came back to store and sort all the groceries I bought. Apartment was now empty and quiet without my sister so I had to get used to peace again. I prepared a small lunch and ate in my usual place, on the sofa, watching some TV. The rest of the day went by fast as I prepared for work tomorrow, looking through some papers. I went to the gym too but I haven't seen Zoro there.

'_Now that I think about it… I haven't seen him the whole day… He's probably working, as ever. Job means so much to him…'_, and thinking about this made me sad. Zoro is such a workaholic, he can stay at the company forever, staring at the papers, typing on the computer and just working hard. I wish we could go out sometimes or just hang out, drinking at my apartment. I'm not crazy for the beer, that's the last thing that matters… I just wanted to be with Zoro. And I wanted it bad…

Pat on the shoulder woke me up from thoughts. I turned around to see Kei smiling at me.

"Hey, nice workout today. I didn't ask you… where were you yesterday? You shouldn't be skipping if you're paying for every day of the month.", he said sorting his stuff in his locker, a little bit away from mine.

"Ah, I had some business, sorry. As you know, my sister came to visit for the week so I spent most of the time with her and she went back home today so I skipped yesterday to be with her.", I lied, I had to. Kei is not the person who needs to know all the details about my personal life.

"I guess it's okay then. I'll see you tomorrow, princess.", he winked at me and went out. Lately Kei has been very flirty with me but I kept my distance… or I thought so. I am certainly not interested in my trainer, that's just wrong!

I finally packed my stuff and went back home for a nice shower and immediate sleep, preparing myself for new Monday.

…

First week day at work went as the others – usual stuff: typing, meetings, papers, lunch break with laughs and again more work. After work was gym and workout. This time, I saw Zoro there and kept the smile on my face all the time. I would blush from time to time when our eyes would meet but I was happy to be even a bit in his company. Kei would continue to train me and flatter along the way. I was a bit scared, looking at Zoro like I awaited him to snap and punch Kei right on the spot. But, instead, Zoro didn't do anything. His face was filled with anger and he was frowning but continued to work out. I felt guilt even though I didn't do anything. In the end, we would all go our separate ways home, with no word exchanged between us.

It was that one Tuesday that was raining and I just had a bad feeling of going to work. I didn't want to go but I had to so I grabbed my breakfast and umbrella and went to the train station. It was all good, nothing happened to me but I still had that uneasy feeling. I haven't talked to Zoro these past days, we would just look at each other, smile and look away – both at work and at the gym. We were both busy and tired so we didn't have a chance for a relaxing beer.

The whole morning at work was filled with new analysis, more papers and numbers. I had to work hard still feeling sick and kind of afraid inside.

"[y/n], I need an analysis for January this year. Could you get it from the archive downstairs?", Robin asked coming to my desk. I agreed and went downstairs. I just wanted to get away from this place, all the papers and work. This Tuesday was not my day.

"Okay… January… January… that's probably on the high shelf…", I said to myself looking up. That shelf was high but I could reach it with my hand. Those registers were thick and heavy so I had to be careful. I got the January register and pulled it slowly with my finger tip. As I pulled it the others went along and the heavy books were on the edge of falling. I was praying for them to stay steady but no use. All the registers were going to fall on me. I let go of the register, closed my eyes and waited for all of them to fall on me. Nothing happened but the books still hit the floor and something above me. I opened my eyes and saw Zoro, standing behind me, blocking everything from above.

"You should be careful, you know.", I looked him with wide eyes. I turned around so that I was facing him. Zoro had a calm face on, not showing the pain from being hit by several heavy books.

"A-are you alright?", I asked with shaky voice.

"I'm fine, don't worry about it. And you? Are hurt anywhere?", I shook my head in "_no_", still being amazed and scared of what just happened. The situation from locked Saturday night repeated – I was again close to Zoro, closer than ever. He was blocking all the ways in that position, with his arms on the shelf behind me.

"I am glad you're safe…", he said with a silent voice only I could hear. Zoro was now leaning towards me, his eyes locked on my lips and my eyes focused on _his_ tender lips which were slightly parted, coming closer to mine. I acted and stood away from the shelf, coming closer to him, wanting that moment to finally happen.

Suddenly, the door of the archive opened and steps stomping hard were coming to us.

"Great, here comes the nagging witch.", said Zoro and stood away from me. I was again stunned, my face burning, my body feeling hot.

"I was passing here and I heard a noise! What in the world happened?!", yelled Nami, coming to the row where Zoro and I were. She looked at the registers on the floor and then at us.

"I-I was…"

"I was looking for one register but pulled them hard so the rest fall off.", Zoro cut my sentence and said what I was supposed to.

"Zoro…", Nami was now starting to get annoyed, massaging her forehead, "… please don't lie to me… if you were looking for the register… Then what the Hell is [y/n] doing here?!", she snapped and yelled at us.

"I-I just came here, to look for the register Robin asked for. It's in this area…", I was telling the truth… well most of it… hiding the situation with Zoro. Nami just sighed, telling Zoro to quickly sort the registers back on the shelf. She took my hand, took the January register and pulled me out of the room back to the department. Nami didn't say a word, she just ordered me to work and stop joking around. I had a feeling she had some hint about what happened in the archive room but she just stayed silent and continued to do her job.

My work ended just in right time so I went home, got prepared and went to the gym. Zoro, however, stayed overtime at the company, still finishing some work. The rain stopped falling around the time I was done with my exercise. It was still gloomy and the night was awful.

'_Maybe that uneasy feeling I was feeling was about Zoro, getting hurt by the falling resisters earlier today…? I don't know… I still feel that way. I still have a feeling something bad will happen… although nothing actually happened to me… Zoro's the one who saved me. He's now at the company… I just hope he's okay…'_, I thought reaching my apartment building. I stayed silent, thinking over and over again about Zoro. I couldn't let him off my mind. And for the change, thinking about him wasn't driving me crazy… it was making me nervous.

When I came back in my apartment I took the usual shower after the workout and prepared myself a dinner. In the middle of eating a delicious rice omelet, my cell phone rang. I muted the TV and went to get the phone from my night stand in the bedroom. On the phone screen was shown "_Nami_".

"What is it now? I did all you asked me today!", I shouted to still ringing phone and click the answer button right after, "Hello?"

"_[y/n]? Is that you?! This is Luffy! Quickly come here! Zoro's in the hospital!"_, Luffy shouted on the other side, leaving me shocked and speechless. "Give me that, you idiot! ….. [y/n]?", now was Nami who talked on the phone.

"Nami… wh-what happened?", I was scared. I didn't know what to think or what to do. I was frozen in place.

"_[y/n], calm down. Listen to me. Everything's okay, just listen to me and do what I tell you, okay?"_, she talked with a calm tone. Beside her voice, I could hear a murmur behind her of the familiar co-workers.

"Nami…", I was still shocked. Hearing it from Luffy in his panic state, I could only think about something bad happening to Zoro, since he was always healthy and in good shape. The only thing why he would be in the hospital…

_"[y/n], I need you to calm down, okay? Listen to me… I need you to do everything as I say and come to the hospital, okay?"_, she slightly woke me up from my shock but I was ready to do as she says.

"Alright. Just tell me what to do!"

_"Okay… First, go to Zoro's apartment. The key is hidden under the pot of that small pine next to his door.",_ I immediately rushed out of my apartment, found the key and unlocked the door of Zoro's apartment.

"I'm in. Now what?", I was already panting heavily. Nami continued to give me orders. She told me to go to his room, open his closet and take some clean clothes – a T-shirt, pants and his jacket from the hanger on his bedroom door.

_"Now that you picked it all, come here. We'll be waiting for you. Bye!"_, and she hung up on me. I ran as fast as I could, locked his door, put the key back where it was, went to my apartment just to take my wallet and put on my sneakers. I was in my sweat suit that I put on after gym. I didn't do anything else, just storm out the apartment and down the stairs as I couldn't wait for the elevator to come. I put Zoro's clothes in a bag that I held tightly in my hands.

'_Zoro… what happened? Please… just please… be safe!'_, I clenched my teeth thinking about possibilities that could happen to him. I didn't want to, but those thoughts just rushed in.

'_If anything happened to you… I… I don't know how would I bear with it… Zoro…'_, I held my tears on the edges of my eyes. I wasn't ready for this. It was all too much!

Once I was on the street, I called for taxi as loud as I could. Few would pass me by so it took me some more shouting until one finally stopped.

"City hospital. And please hurry. Please!", I almost yelled at the driver. He drove the taxi fast still following the regulations in the traffic. I was being nervous, biting my lip at every stop sign and every red light. I was gripping tightly the bag with Zoro's clothes, looking through the window, hoping everything was alright.

'_Zoro_…', I thought burying my face into the bag, smell of the clean clothes reminding me of him. I had to prepare myself for what I'm about to see. Nami didn't tell me any details. I wonder how bad is Zoro? What actually happened to him? I wanted to see him. I wanted to be near him as a support. I wanted him to notice I care. Cab finally arrived at the hospital. I paid for the drive and ran out of the car, fast into the hospital. The hallway was empty so I had to ask the nurse who worked on the reception desk.

"Excuse me… can you please tell me in what room is Mr. Roronoa Zoro?", I asked, getting nervous with every second passing.

"Ah, yes, Roronoa-san is in room 11 on the second floor. And you are…?"

"A friend. I came here to bring his clothes.", she nodded to me in approval so I rushed on the stairs to the second floor. There, on a bench were all my co-workers: Luffy, Usopp, Ace, Vivi and Nami. They all stayed silent. The tension in the air was hard and thick. My heart started beating faster than ever. I slowly started walking to them. I was scared. I didn't know what will happen. Nami noticed me and came to me fast.

"[y/n]…", she started.

"Just tell me… how is he?", I looked her in the eyes with fear and determination mixed.

"Zoro's alive, you don't need to worry. He's just sleeping now… If you want… go and see him…", she held me by the shoulder but I continued my way to the room 11.

I could hear my own heartbeats, pounding loudly in my ears. When the others noticed m,e Luffy stood up from the bench and Vivi wanted to come to me but Ace stopped them both. On the window by the door of the room, I saw Zoro, lying in his bed, his left side of the face covered in bandages. My eyes widen. I stood there, in shock, my body shaking in fear. I barely reached the doorknob and slowly opened the door of Zoro's room. I slowly walked to him, not moving my eyes off his face. When I reached his bed, my eyes filled with tears. My heart started hurting, like someone has stabbed me right in the middle of my chest. My breathing was short, my lungs hurting. The pain was suffocating me as I looked at his wounded face, covered in stitches and bandages. I laid the bag with clothes on the chair and just stood silent. Zoro frowned a little and opened his healthy eye slightly.

"[y/n]… you…", he mumbled.

"Thank God… Zoro... how are you?", I asked leaning to him.

"I've been better…", he tried to sit up but I stopped him.

"Don't push yourself! Lay down… Zoro… W-what happened to you?", I asked. I never saw him looking like this. It was a terrible, sad and frightening sight. Zoro could barely see on his free right eye because that eye was hurt too.

"I got in a street fight…", he said calmly. I couldn't believe my ears.

"You idiot!", he looked at me with a surprised eyes, "You don't know how worried I was! I thought you got in a car accident or something even worse! I thought you're training your body. You are also good in swordsmanship. All that and you still got in a street fight?", Zoro sat up then.

"You should see those other guys, this is nothing! My wounds are minor. Those guys are really beat up."

"I don't care about the other guys, you idiot! I care about you! You got me worried sick!", I was now crying, not controlling my tears, "Look at yourself! Your face is ruined!"

"Listen up, I defended myself the best I could but they still got me. It's not my fault! I was just trying to save myself from those guys!", he yelled back at me. Zoro was right, it wasn't his fault this happened to him, he was trying his best to defend. I looked at the side, still crying, "But thank you.", he said, bringing me back to look at him, "Thank you, for coming here. I thought you wouldn't…"

"How can you say stuff like that? I was worried about you…", I said, calming myself down. Zoro was talking like everything's alright, like he's not hurt at all but I was feeling my own pain and sadness. I couldn't help Zoro at that point. I hated that.

"Zoro… you should know… I…", my sentence was cut by sudden door opening. Robin rushed in, right past me, to Zoro.

"Zoro, are you alright?! I came as soon as Luffy called me. What happened to you?", she panicked, not minding me at all. I looked through the glass of the room and Nami was there beating Luffy up. Robin continued buzzing around Zoro and I just excused myself out.

"[y/n], Luffy…", Nami started but I just continued my way to the stairs and exited the hospital.

The night sky was full of dark clouds. I looked at it, like I was calling for the rain to fall and calm me down.

'_What have I done to deserve this? Can this sadness and hurt stop… please?'_, I thought when someone put a hand on my shoulder. It was Nami, looking at me with a sad face. I looked away, even sadder.

"He's going to be okay.", Nami said all so suddenly. I didn't say anything, "It wasn't Zoro's fault; he was just walking home, as his car ran out of gas in the middle of the street. Also, one of the attackers had a knife and cut him on his left eye. He said that he didn't see ever since but still continued to fight back. Very admirable…", I couldn't help myself, I burst into tears and flew to Nami.

"I can't help it anymore! I don't want to lose him! Right now, Zoro means everything to me! I am worried. I am scared. I am sad! I want to be with him and yet Robin…", I cried. My true feelings flew out. I couldn't hide them anymore.

"[y/n], you…", Nami couldn't continue, she just hugged me as the rain started to fall little by little. In the end, the tears on my face weren't recognizable anymore. They were now mixed with pouring rain. The sound of rain splashing on the ground muted my sobbing.

The bad feeling I had from the morning was right. It followed through the whole day and affected Zoro. He is now in hospital, with his face damaged and badly wounded and I couldn't do a thing. I felt so hopeless and helpless. I didn't have a clue that my own thoughts were the cause of Zoro's present condition. I wanted to be with him but I guess… I'm just hurting him. It's for the best if he doesn't know about my feelings. That way, I could protect him… I will just go away…

* * *

_To be continued..._


	7. Chapter 7

_Sooo sorry for the delay! *bows* I was so busy and I somehow managed to upload this chapter. Sorry if I was late! *bows* *bows* I am also afraid this might not be so good as I was typing it tired... :(_

_Let's get onto the business:_

_**:IMPORTANT NOTE:**_

_Please don't kill me... For the sake of keeping it real, I made some... changes in Zoro's new look. You will see while reading. Please don't be mad at me, I was just thinking how will that be IRL and made his appearance more suitable for the RL and the story._

_**Notes**:_

_**-Japanese summer festival** - I checked on the Google and there were various of festivals in the summer but this is the one in the end of the summer, maybe somewhere in August, idk..._

_**-Tatami sandals** - light Japanese sandals, unlike the wooden ones..._

_-**Yukata** - summer kimono_

_-**Marimo** - literary means ball seaweed, also names as Lake Ball or Moss Ball, it's a type of green algae (yeah I know that you may already know this but I explained it anyway)._

_-**Tamaya**! - something Japanese people shout when fireworks are let out in the sky._

_**Summary from the previous chapter:** Your sister locked you and Zoro up in your apartment. You two ate and drank and eventually came to truce, you forgave him in your own way and just as you two were about to kiss... your little sister comes back! The kiss could happen in the archive room too, but Nami stopped you then. That day, you were feeling uneasy and in the end Zoro ended in the hospital ass he was caught in a street fight. He received some serious injuries, one on his left eye by being cut. You were just about to tell him how you feel but Robin came into the room so you ran out of the hospital with Nami following, letting your feelings flow out._

* * *

It's already been 5 full days as Zoro was put in the hospital. I had so much work to do that I hated myself for not having time to visit him more than just a lunch break. Sometimes I would meet Robin there, so I would just say "_Hi_", leave the treats for Zoro and go back home. One day, after Robin went on a trip, I decided to visit Zoro and dragged Sanji along with me. Sanji whined and negotiated but with my own whining and begging he had to agree and take me to the hospital to visit Zoro.

"Oh, it's just you", said Zoro as Sanji and I entered his room.

"Oi, idiot, don't talk that way to [y/n]-san or I'll close your other eye!", Sanji growled, being easily pissed off by Zoro's little sentence.

"You are THE idiot. I wasn't talking to her but you, you moron.", Zoro tried to stay calm, frowning as much as he could do with a wound on his other eye.

"Whatever! I can't stay here, I'll get the idiocy germs from you.", Sanji said still sending hate to Zoro but then came back to me and spoke to me, "[y/n]-san, if this shithead molests you, just shout and your hero will come.", he said with the most sweetest tone.

"Just get out of here!", Zoro yelled at him but the nurse that was passing his room in the moment, came and scolded him, reminding him that this is a hospital, that there are other people here and that he's wounded. Zoro back off, looking like a little puppy after being scolded by his owner. He looked unbelievably cute at that moment with a small blush on his face. I left the fruits basket on a table by his bed. Zoro was alone in a small hospital room, with nothing to entertain himself because doctors wouldn't let him have his laptop to work. The primary thing for him was rest but he would only think about his job and unfinished work.

"How are you feeling?", I asked, coming closer to his bed.

"I'm bored. All these days were nothing but a waste of time. The only things I do here are eating and sleeping. I'm sick of it!", he said, looking at all the "get well soon" gifts, still with a frowning face.

"Well, those are kind of stuff you do in a hospital, you know. But, I wasn't asking that. I meant your wounds, your health. How are you?"

"The wounds ache form time to time but it's not such a big deal… I can handle it.", he said, looking at his bandaged chest.

'_Always so confident… and proud…'_, I sighed. Zoro was looking at his bandages, like they were annoying him, acting like a child who wants to get them off because they don't go well on his body.

In that moment of silence, Zoro's doctor came in. He was followed by a nurse who was carrying a plate of medical instruments.

"Good afternoon, Zoro-kun. It's time for the visit. Oh, this must be your girlfriend.", doctor had a joking face on, smiling at me.

"I—I'm not—"

"Oh well, let's start with the check-up. I have some news for you, Zoro-kun. Miss, you can stay here if you would like to hear.", the doctor cut my sentence and became serious. I calmed down myself, "So I have two types of news for you: good and bad. Which one would you like to hear first?", doctor asked Zoro but he looked at me.

"What do you want, [y/n]?", Zoro asked me. I shortly looked from left to right and then again at him. I was now a center of attention as everyone in the room was looking at me.

"M-me?", I put a hand on my chest and Zoro nodded, "Well… can we, please, hear the bad news first?", I stated with my uneasy voice. Doctor sighed and turned to Zoro but in that way he was also turned to me. I stood near the door, like I was preparing for my escape.

"Alright then… The bad news is…", doctor started taking a quick glance at me and then looking back at Zoro, "… The cut on your face was deep so we had to stitch it. After I remove the stitches, you will be left with a scar. Unfortunately, that scar will be permanent. ", he ended the story. I stood in shock, wide eyes that were filling with tears and slight opened mouth. Zoro was calm, looking at the doctor like he was telling a fairy tale. When doctor looked at me I turned my head away to wipe my eyes and prevent tears from coming out.

"Miss…", doctor called me, making me look at him, "I am glad you picked the good news second because I have to take the bandages off to see the wound again.", I was now frightened.

Only the doctor and nurses know how Zoro's wound looks like… What if it's bad? I had to prepare myself. Doctor commanded the nurse to give him the scissors and other medical instruments when he started revealing Zoro's face. Doctor's back and the nurse budging in blocked my view of Zoro. My heart was thumping hard, cold sweat covering me slowly.

"Oooh, I like this! You made a great recovery for such a short time, Zoro-kun. This doesn't look bad at all. Nurse, clean the wound, please.", said the doctor and took a step back to let the nurse do her job. I was still waiting in the back but after doctor noticed me, he invited me to come closer and take a look myself. I was now speechless even more! Zoro's left side was swollen a bit, he kept his both eyes closed and had a calm face while the nurse treated him. The scar he had on the left was… sad.

"Now, finally the good news!", said the doctor with a happy tone in his voice. I still starred at Zoro's face. My eyes began to tear again, "Zoro-kun, you've recovered fast and you can go home by tomorrow. Your ribs are okay and the same goes for your leg. But, the greater news is that your eye is perfectly safe. It seems that you dodged the cut just in the right moment. If that guy cut you a bit more, we couldn't save your eye. This way, it's perfectly fine! You can slowly open your eyes and if it hurts, just tell me.", said the doctor, making all of that sound unbelievable.

I was still starring at Zoro's face, not daring myself to blink. The scar on his left eye went across his eyebrow and barely to the middle of his eyelid, making his eye safe that way. Zoro did as the doctor said: he slowly began to open his eyes, making me even more nervous. When he fully opened them, he looked at me and I was frozen. I noticed that my vision started to blur because of some tears so I wiped them quickly.

"[y/n], what's wrong?", Zoro asked in a calm tone. I quickly turned back to him with a smile.

"Ah, nothing… I was just staring for so long, my eyes started to hurt.", doctor then poked me in the back, handing me the mirror. I slowly brought it to Zoro. He looked himself without a word. I didn't know what to say either.

"Zoro-kun, nurse already applied this healing balm on your wound. You must treat that scar every day, 3 times a day minimum. Also, here are these eye drops. Apply them too, before the balm. I will leave now and the ophthalmologist will come right away. Remember, if the eye hurts, just close it and rest.", said doctor to Zoro and then came to me, "You are very lucky to have him as your boyfriend. He's very brave and strong.", I tried to speak up and deny but the doctor just patted me on the shoulder and left the room. The nurse bowed to both of us and followed the doctor out. I was now left in the room with Zoro… alone.

"Does it hurt?", I asked him quietly, slowly turning my head to him. Zoro was looking at his hands, the bandages on his chest and then switched his eyes to me. His face was calm as usual.

"It aches… the wound makes me want to pull my eye out. It feels strange. It feels unusual and weird on my skin.", he was talking with calm tone, like he's bored and emotionless. I didn't know what to say so that silence filled the room.

"[y/n]-san, we have to l—", Sanji opened the room but he stopped when he saw Zoro. He took a pause and fully entered the room, "You look even more stupid now.", he said, his piercing through me.

"Sanji…", I wanted to scold him but I was too embarrassed in front of Zoro.

"I don't care what you say, idiot. Just go away. I don't want to see your stupid face.", said Zoro looking down.

"Your face is no better you—"

"Sanji!", I finally yelled at him, making him look at me with a surprise.

I was mad, yes. His words were just too much. Zoro is a person in a hospital and Sanji didn't need to say that, even though they don't like each other. I said my goodbye to Zoro and left the room with Sanji following me.

"I'm sorry, [y/n]-san…", Sanji said from behind.

"You should apologize to Zoro. Now that he's hurt, please low your arguing with him, okay?", Sanji didn't say anything so we just rode back to the company and continued our working day.

…

Zoro was left home from the hospital. Few days after he got home were quiet and I visited him. But, after those few days, my Hell began. My department chief, Robin, was now coming early from work to visit and nurse Zoro. She would stay with him to the late hours and then leave. Ever since, I haven't seen Zoro. I would go to work normally and she would go out earlier, giving me her sheets of work papers. After work, I would go to the gym and end my day with a small dinner after workout. I would go to sleep, with the same dull expression I kept all day.

The same thing repeated even today, after I fell on my bed, tired. I was thanking God for the thick walls or I couldn't stand to hear Robin's cheerful voice that was directed to Zoro. I fell asleep with the same sad feeling hurting my chest.

It didn't last long since I closed my eyes when I heard the hard knocking on my apartment door. It was intensive and annoying so I had to get up from my bed to answer. I only exited my bedroom and stood in my living room when the person entered my apartment on its own. I stood in surprise, looking at the familiar grin of a tall and muscular man. His face became clear as he took a step towards me. The moonlight lightened his strong face, showing that grin more clearly.

"How long are you going to keep me waiting?", he asked, making me flinch in my place. His grin widen as he took one more step closer to me.

"What are you doing here… Zoro… It's already this late and you're—", he stopped me, placing his index finger over my lips. Being lightened by the moonlight, his scar on his left eye was even more noticeable.

"I'm bored. Lying in bed the whole day is boring… so I came here. And, you didn't answer me… how long are you going to keep me wait?", he moved his finger over my lips, leaning more to me.

"Wait for what?", I asked with a shaky and insecure voice. Zoro kept his grin and widened it a bit more.

"For you, of course…", he went to my ear and put his hand on my lower back, slightly above my butt, "I said we're going to finish what we started that night before your sister interrupted… I'm ready now and I hope you're too.", he whispered so seductively my body melted. His smell was filling my nostrils fast so I was already hypnotized. Zoro didn't move a bit, like he was waiting for my moves. I slowly lifted my hands and placed them around his exposed neck. After a few seconds since the first touch I relaxed and tightened my hug.

"I was afraid…", I said quietly, "I was scared you wouldn't come… I was afraid you would reject me… But… I was waiting… That little piece of hope kept me in belief…", I closed my eyes and placed my nose on Zoro's shoulder, inhaling all he had.

"I'm here… you're safe now. So, don't be afraid… I'm here…", those words were all I had to hear and they were whispered so gently to me, with so much care I knew he meant it.

Zoro held me closer, tightening his grip on my back. His other hand went from my hip, caressing me to my cheek. He looked me in the eyes and leaned his forehead onto mine. Zoro now had a nice and warm smile on, making me smile back at him. Without any other words, he hugged me and picked me up, going straight to my bedroom. The big full moon was our only light in the room. That light was only thing I needed to see Zoro's smiling face. He walked slowly towards my bed, holding me, intensively looking into my eyes, smiling gently just for me. When Zoro hit my bed with his toes, he turned around and sat, placing me on his lap and turning me so that I was fully facing him.

"I'm not afraid anymore… now that I have you. Thank you.", I said gently, taking my hands from his neck and turning his head so that his forehead was facing my lips. I placed and gentle and sweet kiss on his forehead, showing Zoro a little piece of my love for him. I didn't want to get separated from him. I kissed his forehead, his scar and then looked at him. Zoro was looking at me with his dark but warm eyes, lovable eyes that were always placing a special feeling in my heart whenever I looked at them. He placed his hand on my cheek and started bringing me closer to him. I was finally ready for that special moment we've been delaying so many times. I was now looking at Zoro's lips, yearning to finally meet them. Warm feeling was taking over my body…

But the ringing stopped us. I flinched and back away from Zoro. The ringing was coming from my alarm clock and all I wanted is to get rid of it. But, as I made a movement, all around me suddenly became bright and it was getting brighter with my every move. And Zoro in front of me was starting to fade away. The ringing became louder as I reached my hand where Zoro was.

I finally opened my eyes. I was lying in my bed with my arm reaching up to the ceiling. The alarm clock wouldn't shut up.

"Fuck…", I said to myself and let my arm fall. I closed my eyes again, wanting to go back to that moment. But, my brain wouldn't listen to me. The alarm clock finally stopped ringing and I opened my eyes again, looking at the ceiling. Another day has started…

…

Work days went just as usual – lots of papers, phone calls, typing on a computer, rushing around, printing etc. It wasn't all the same, it lacked Zoro. Even though we weren't in the same department, the company seemed different without him. And as time passed, everyone stopped asking about Zoro and his health. As I had so much work at the company, I stopped thinking about him too, but whenever I come back home, I would always first look at his door and then enter my apartment with a sad expression on my face.

I stopped going to the gym. Even though Kei said I can always come back, I just couldn't keep up the pace with the company work. Every night I would fall asleep tired and wake up the same. Quitting the workout saved me money and I had some more free time until I go to sleep. I still haven't seen Zoro…

As for the weekends – I would just relax and sometimes go out with the company friends. On Sundays I would prepare myself for another busy week, finishing some minor paper work.

And just like that, my week would pass. I was busy just like the rest of the people at work. It was summer season and people were just ordering vacations, like they were cups of coffee. It is a miracle how we were all still alive after so much work.

It was the same even this day, when I went to the "_hot-spot_" department to look for some missing documents, Ace, Luffy and Usopp had it hard without Zoro helping them around the place.

"Luffy! I need those papers you promised me three days ago. We need to submit them to the marketing department. Where are they?", I talked to him but Luffy didn't take his eyes off the computer monitor. He was typing in a rush, sweat sliding from his face.

"Just one sec. I need to type this for Nami. Aaargh!", he screamed rustling his hair in annoyance.

"Luffy, I can't wait! They are asking for those papers NOW!", I stood behind him but Luffy never looked at me.

"Is there some problem?", a familiar voice spoke behind me, making me stop with my rage and making Luffy turn with a big smile on his face.

"ZORO! You're back!", Luffy shouted and jumped off his chair, leaving it spinning around. I turned around too and saw Zoro, standing behind me with a cheeky smile on his face.

"Yo.", that was his salute to me so I unfroze myself with a heat coming from my face. I was blushing crimson red. Luffy was still clinging onto Zoro like a little kid, "What have you done to my department? This place is in a mess! Luffy, what are the news?", he asked with unbelievable speed, shifting his glance from me and focusing on Luffy. While Luffy explained stuff they both turned away from me and started walking in the hallway.

"Hey!", I finally snapped myself out of my thoughts, making both Luffy and Zoro turn towards me, "You're forgetting something, eh Luffy? I still need those papers! And don't think just because Zoro's back that I'll let you off the hook. Now, give me those files, NOW!", Luffy once again panicked and ran away, hopefully to get me the documents I need.

"You're getting sharp. Did I miss something while I was away?", I haven't noticed but Zoro came to me, looking at the same direction as me – where Luffy ran off to. I just sighed, wanting to relax.

"You didn't miss much. It's still a freaky circus here. We're busy every single day.", I said still looking where Luffy went to, expecting him to come back with papers.

"Well, I can see THAT.", he made me look at him with a confusion, "Fix your hair and stand out of this circus.", his lips formed a small yet lovely smile, making me blush. I somehow fixed my hair back into a bun, "Also…", he said turning to me and taking my glasses off slowly, "These are pretty messed, too.", it's then when Zoro pulled out his handkerchief, blew into the glasses and wiped them clean. He gave them back and I put them on, with my face still blushing quite noticeable. I almost forgot…

"Hey, how are you back here? Are your wounds okay?", I asked and Zoro looked at me once more.

"Heh, it's already been week and a half since I came back from the hospital. As you can see, this scar is healed well.", he said pointing to his fully healed scar on his left eyebrow, "And the rest healed pretty fast, two or three days after I came back home.", Zoro said with a confident voice, looking at his leg and his chest. I could smile again as the huge weight just fell off my chest. Zoro was back…

"[y/n]! Here they are!", Luffy came running, "Ace just finished them.", he panted hard.

"What did you just say? Ace? I gave YOU to do that and you passed it to Ace? Luffy…", I wanted to smash him in the place but Zoro put his arm in front of me, stopping me in my intentions. I looked at him and he was still smiling, "Okay, I'll forgive you. But just this once! Don't pass your work to others.", I said to Luffy and went to the elevator back to my department. I looked at Zoro one last time before the door closed. His smile stroke my heart once again so I had to look away.

…

In just a few hours, Zoro was working like before. He caught up with everything, like nothing happened, like he didn't miss a thing. Knowing he's somewhere in the company kept me smiling and positive in my work. And surprisingly, Robin stopped buzzing around Zoro so much because she worked really hard and didn't go to his department at all. She even asked for my help and smiled at me. Robin somehow became nicer.

I was happy that I saw Zoro at work so I came back home with a smile, knowing that I'll see him more. But, once I exited the elevator I saw Robin, standing in front of Zoro's apartment door. She noticed me and spoke up first.

"[y/n], do you maybe know where Zoro is?", she asked with a worried face.

"No, I just got off the train. Isn't he still at work?", I asked approaching my door.

"No, he said he's leaving earlier because he has something else to do. But he never said where he's going…", she said, gripping her purse.

"Do you need anything? Can I somehow help you?", I asked, now worried about her and I never thought I would be, actually.

"I just need to get my medicines I left there for him while he was recovering. So, I'm waiting here for him. But… I'm waiting for almost an hour.", she became really worried. I tried to reach a hand to her but the elevator rang and the door opened. Zoro was the one who exited, looking at the two of us with a weird face.

"What are you two doing here in the hallway?", he asked, coming to us. Robin wanted to say something but back off. I noticed that.

'_When was she uncomfortable around Zoro? This is not like her…'_

"Zoro, where have you been all this time?", I almost yelled at him.

"All this time? What are you talking about?", he looked at me confused.

"I asked first! Robin was waiting for you here for the whole hour.", Zoro looked at her and then again at me. He was carrying several full bags from the grocery store. Zoro took a key from his pocket to unlock the door. He didn't say anything…

"I have been to one travel agency in the town, as they asked for me. After that I went and bought some food. I didn't know you were waiting for me.", on the last sentence he turned his head to Robin and she nodded with a weak smile. She explained to him why is she here and they both went in his apartment.

I sighed, once again feeling horrible. The feeling from last days was taking over me – sadness and depression. I sat on my sofa, throwing my briefcase so that it hit the kitchen counter. I bumped my head into the pillows and laid there in silence. Sudden image of my dream with Zoro flashed to my mind. I hit the sofa with my fist and cursed into the pillow.

_'Shit! Fuck it all! Why is this always happening to me?! Shit!'_

But the knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts. I fixed my hair and my clothes and kicked my thrown briefcase into my room. I had a hint who might it be knocking. And I was right! When I opened the door, Zoro was standing there, with a silly grin on his face and hands behind his back.

"Do you need something?", I asked, trying to sound calm. He revealed his hands to me. Zoro was holding couple of beer bottles so I made a similar grin as his. He casually entered and sat on the sofa. Zoro was acting like he owned the place. I was still remembering my dream so I tried to stay calm and hide those feelings.

"It's good to be here once again.", he said as I was opening the bottles.

"Heh, you really missed this, didn't you?", I said and came to him, still sitting far away.

"You bet! I'm sick of all those medicines, nursing and shits.", he said taking the first large gulp.

"But, Robin did a great job as your home nurse. You seem healthy and well now. She put so much effort.", I said and took a sip of beer myself.

"Yeah, that may be true… but it was also annoying. She really did a great job taking care of me, but I could do that all by myself. She's much more polite now… after that last trip…", he silenced the last part and looked away. That was an obvious signal I shouldn't ask him anything. I just leaned back on the sofa and drank my beer.

It sure was an odd feeling, almost forgotten – the feeling of drinking beer with Zoro. I was again starting to feel comfortable and nice around him, like the familiar light has shined upon me once more. I let my half consumed bottle on the little table in front of me and just sat there, knowing he's next to me. I closed my eyes, forming a little smile. I was feeling safe and nice, like in my dream... and all that because Zoro was there. I didn't need any words; I just needed to feel his presence.

I didn't realize it, but I fell asleep. Yes, right there, on the sofa, beside Zoro. I flinched out of my empty dream and when I looked around, I was in my bed and it was already morning.

"Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit! Damn it!", I yelled at myself, rushing out of the bed and going to the bathroom to take a shower and prepare myself… for another work day.

…

'_Nothing happened, right? He just carried me to the bed… again! I'm such a loser! I couldn't do anything! Damn it!'_, my thoughts were full of rage as I was gripping my coffee cup.

"[y/n], are you okay?", asked Nami, making me look at her. We were on a lunch break in the office. Sanji, Vivi, Ace and Luffy were just joining us for a lunch and a coffee. I nodded to Nami, not really wanting to talk about my thoughts.

"Okay, so now, as we're all here, I have one wonderful news for you.", said Nami and stood up from her chair. The others were sitting and watching her, looking like a diva at a performance, "Soo… WE'RE ALL GOING TO THE FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND!", she shouted, making all of us look surprised. No one said a word until Luffy jumped.

"Yeah! Summer festival! I want to go!", he shouted, dancing happily.

"We will all go! What do rest of you think?", Nami asked, trying to calm dancing Luffy down.

"What do you mean '_all'_? Who else's going?", asked Ace.

"Well, I counted 8 of us, right? I, Vivi, Robin, [y/n], Sanji-kun, Luffy, Zoro, and you, Ace.", Nami counted on her fingers.

"And what about Usopp?", I asked.

"He's going with someone else… hehe…", Nami had and evil-ish grin that scared me a bit, "Maybe we'll meet, who knows… So, what do you think? Tell me!", she demanded.

"It's a great idea, Nami-san! I approve!", Sanji shouted, being all so lovely to Nami. She nodded and looked at me.

"Okay, I'm in. It sounds interesting. But, did you ask the others who aren't here?"

"Hehe, don't worry about that. Zoro is coming, although I barely made him, and Robin gladly agreed.", she said, acting like a boss with all the right pieces in their places. Nami planned it all out.

She explained the whole idea and ordered that kimonos are a strict MUST! She already ordered some small fireworks and refreshments so all we need to do is show up in the ordered time and place. I was feeling a little unsure… Zoro and Robin will both be there. What will happen?

…

The awaited summer festival weekend has finally come. I phoned my Mom back home and she sent me a nice summer kimono, wooden sandals with socks, a little round purse and some hair pins to match. It took me hours to get ready but I finally managed to put all the things in place. I wasn't familiar with all that clothes so I was feeling a little bit uncomfortable in it.

"Oh, [y/n]-chan. You look gorgeous. Are you heading to the festival?", asked lady Ishikawa as we met in the hallway. I locked my door and put the key in my purse. I bowed slightly, to her and her husband, not wanting that hair pin to slip out of my hair.

"Good evening, Ishikawa-san. Thank you for the compliment. And yes, I was about to head to the meeting with my friends.", I said politely with a smile.

"Oh, we are just heading there. Do you need a ride?", she said as we were going to the elevator. My sandals were hitting the marble floor of the hallway, making me embarrassed. I didn't know how to walk in them.

"Ah, no, thank you. I still have some spare time, so I'll walk.", I said with the same polite voice, entering the elevator with Ishikawa couple.

Once out of the building, I took a stroll to the meeting place, beside river. I was still embarrassed of my clothes and my way of walking but after few passed streets I got a hang of it. I was now walking graciously, like a little lady, with my nice and now comfortable kimono. As I was approaching the destination I saw more and more people dressed the same way as me so I couldn't stay embarrassed anymore. On my way I already met Nami and Vivi. They were also dressed in lovely kimonos that really looked good on them. We walked around the festival streets, full of stands with candy, toys and games. Nami tried her luck at the shooting game and won a stuffed kitty toy. Soon, Robin joined us and she wanted to talk to me specifically, so we went behind one of the game stands for a private talk.

"[y/n], I'm sorry.", she bowed to me.

"W-why are you apologizing, Robin? What happened?", I was trying to bring her up.

"I'm sorry… If only I knew…", she was more confusing with every passing second, "If only I knew you liked Zoro that much I would do that thing on our last trip.", she shocked me, "Nami told me you were seriously in love with him but please don't tell her I told you this… Only if I knew…", she was beginning to look sad.

"O-oi, Robin…"

"I'm so sorry. I wish you every luck.", she grabbed me by the hands and looked me in the eyes, smiling happily now, "You are one beautiful girl and I know you two would make a great couple. I'm sorry if I caused you pain, that wasn't my intention. Zoro is all yours now.", I blushed madly, not knowing what to say. Nami called for us and so I was left without any response to Robin. She took me by the hand and we went back to Nami and Vivi; Robin smiling sweetly, forcing me to smile too.

Time was passing nicely while chatting and laughing and soon the others came. We were missing just one person…

"Oh God, where is he?!", Nami started to get pissed off, looking around.

"That stupid idiot…", Sanji frowned, lighting his cigar.

"[y/n], I knew you should come with him!", Nami yelled at me like it was my fault because he's late.

"I'm sure Zoro-san will come.", said Vivi, trying to calm Nami down.

"He's probably here somewhere… I'll go and look for him at the gates.", I said but Sanji stopped me.

"What if you two don't see each other and he walks right pass you? It's a huge crowd [y/n]-san, you might end up lost too. We will wait for a bit more.", Sanji tried to calm me, talking with nice and peaceful tone.

"I hope he shows up or I'll rip his head off!", Nami was boiling with rage and Vivi couldn't control her anymore.

I couldn't leave the place but I was constantly trying to look over people's heads, just to see some green. I had no luck. Nothing would come to catch my eye. Zoro was nowhere to be found.

"What if he decided not to come?", asked Ace, biting his candy. We all looked at him in silence but Nami suddenly snapped, now wanting to "_rip off_" Ace's head. Sanji and Vivi had a hard time controlling her.

"I finally found you guys…", Zoro's voice came from different direction and we all shifted our glances to him.

"Zoro, you bastard! You got lost, didn't you?!", Nami almost looked like a dragon spitting fire. She was mad over the top.

"I'm glad you finally came. She wouldn't stop yelling…", I said to Zoro.

"Yay! Zoro's here so, we can finally start!", shouted Luffy.

What Nami planned were nicely packed _bentou_ meals and drinks. We still had some time until the fireworks so we enjoyed the food and refreshments. Zoro and I took a quick walk along the river and ended to the side where was all clear and with no people.

"Wow, this will be a nice spot for watching fireworks.", I said looking at the clear starry sky but then looked at Zoro. He was wearing a dark blue striped kimono and classic _tatami_ sandals. I admired his looks. It was different from what I was used to. Seeing Zoro in traditional clothes made a new and special feeling flowing inside me.

"Yeah, this is a nice spot. I hope other's will find about this too.", he said, shifting his glance from the sky to me. I had to smile but he quickly turned his head. I suggested that we sit down on the grass, just wanting to say something so I can break the awkward silence between us.

"T-That _yukata_… it really suits you…", he said, not daring to look at me. His words made me blush so now I turned my head away to the other side.

"T-Thank you…", was all I could say. The silence once again came up but Zoro broke it with worried tone in his voice.

"Can you... hear me out for a minute? I would really want to talk to somebody…", I turned my head back.

Zoro was looking at the ground with worried face. That face made me worry too as I know that Zoro is usually very confident and strong. I didn't expect this, I didn't expect to see Zoro down or hear him asking for help.

"What's on your mind? I'll listen…", I said, ready to listen to Zoro's worries.

"You know that last trip I had… with Robin?", my heart started to squeeze itself and I was starting to feel nervous. I slightly nodded, just for him to notice, "Well, I was almost sent to the police back then.", my eyes widen. This became a serious matter, "We went to get a deal with one hotel's owner and he accused the company for huge theft. He said we didn't pay him the money we had to and he asked for return of '_his money'_ and some extra. He even pulled out the papers that we own him. I objected, stating that we paid him everything, to the last penny. He didn't want to listen and sent the security on us, threatening me he would call the police.", his talk started to scare me, "It was then when I put our papers on the table. I notice the mistakes even in the company. The computer numbers and the numbers on the paper they sent us from that hotel didn't match. So I asked Robin to once again analyze and re-read the documents. We found the mistake, in their papers where it says they deleted some zeros, making us the ones who had to pay. At the meeting, when the owner saw all the papers and corrections, he backed off, admitting his defeat. We were saved, by the couple of papers."

"It's good you noticed on time or you wouldn't have any evidence against them.", I said back to Zoro.

"Yeah. It all went well after and we canceled our deal with that hotel. That owner never apologized to us and that pisses me off the most!", he said clenching his fists.

"Mah, it's all in the past. You canceled the deal and I heard that the boss reported the hotel for that scam.", I said, not moving my eyes from him. Zoro finally smiled and looked at me.

"Yeah, you're right, I should forget about that. And also, thank you... for listening to me."

"No problem. You can ask me anytime, I will always hear you out.", I smiled myself too.

"Ah, one more thing also… Do you remember when I said that strange thing happened on that trip? It was with Robin…", on his words I recalled him saying that in the washing room that day when he apologized to me and he also said that recently. I now wanted to know what actually happened.

'_It's like Robin said… something happened on that last business trip…'_

"It was that last trip I went with her… She confessed to me and kissed me right afterwards...", I was now shocked like I've never been in my whole life. I was looking at Zoro who was clenching his fists and teeth, not able to look back at me, "And I… in the moment of despair, I responded and kissed her back… It was the only good thing that I came back to my senses and pushed her away. I don't know why, but something didn't feel right in that moment. Like something was blocking me, telling me that what I'm doing is wrong, telling me to snap back. I couldn't understand it myself… even now. I regret doing it but… why? I don't know… what was that force that was stopping me? I don't know. I only know that it happened for some reason…", he was still looking at his fists while my eyes were filling with tears. I still couldn't believe my ears and after the long staring at him I finally looked back. We were left in silence… no one spoke a word.

"You can't even guess what that force was…? Did you think about it? Did you try to figure it out?", I asked all that still looking away from him.

"I tried… nothing came to me…"

"Sometimes, you're really dense… ", I smiled and turned my head back to him. I just smiled and looked at Zoro's confused face. The city lights were showing me Zoro's confused, yet cute face and the reflection of the lights in the river made my view more magical. I looked at Zoro, keeping my smile on but he just looked at me with the same, confused, expression. After some time, his eyes widen and he then formed a smile, looking me in the eyes.

'_Sometimes, the answer is sitting right in front of you… marimo…'_

As we were sitting close to each other, we both leaned to each other. I was ready for my dream to come true, I know I was ready! And it was a perfect moment, too. All I wanted was in front of me.

Suddenly a light flashed above our heads. We both stopped and back off, realizing what we wanted to do… in the public.

"_TAMAYA_~!", voices came behind us.

I turned around and saw the company friends standing behind, shouting to the fireworks. Nami smiled at me, shrugging. I stood up and Zoro followed. I was sure some of them saw us, especially Nami. Zoro and I joined the bunch and enjoyed the fireworks and the whole festival to the end.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	8. Chapter 8

_I took a week of break, I'm sorry, but I was sick and busy. I really had a hard time trying to finish this chapter. It's a bit longer chapter (it originally had 8.6k words but with all the deleting I ended up with 7.2k words and it's still a lot) but I love it so much! So, let's get one to business! THE NEW CHAPTER IS HERE!_

_**Notes**:_

_*all the names are picked and combined randomly*_

_-**Ojousama** - young lady, name for the girl from the rich family;_

_-**Sakura** - cherry blossom tree;_

_-**Tatami sandals** - explained in the previous chapter;_

_-**Shoujo manga** - Japanese manga comic for girls, young female readers;_

_-**Senpai** - upperclassmen;_

_-**Kohai** - underclassmen;_

_-**Yoroshiku onegai shimasu!** - Japanese saying when someone's making a business deal, there's no particular translation;_

_-**Bonsai** - small Japanese tree;_

_-**Yari** - literally means spear, but this yari is a wooden weapon;_

_-**Shoji **- Japanese paper door;_

_-**Ojouchan** - kinda same as ojousama but this is used for common girls._

_**Summary from the previous chapter**: Zoro was in the hospital for 5 full days and his injuries healed leaving him with a scar on his eye. He was left from the hospital but still had to stay home so Robin came to him every day and nurse him. That pissed you off, really. You didn't see Zoro at all. You had a wonderful dream about you two being together but yet... it was only just a dream. Soon, Zoro came back to work and Nami arranged us to go to a summer festival. On the festival, Robin apologized for doing "that thing". on their last business trip. When you were left alone with Zoro, he told you what was that thing and that he regrets it all. You finally realized, he was not interested in Robin._

* * *

After the festival we all continued our work at the company as usual. Business was going well but that affected us too much: we were busy, stayed overtime and in the end come back home exhausted. We didn't even have that little free time to go out and have fun. But, it wasn't all that dark… As we were working hard, I had some chances to work with Zoro and get along with him well. But, all we talked together was just business, numbers and papers. We didn't talk about us at all and those thoughts never reached my mind, I was too focused on my job. Sometimes, I wanted to cool down and put my work aside and just enjoy being with Zoro… but that never happened.

Also, a new and bright thing that I experienced was a new and nicer Robin. She would help me with my work, give me advices and even do some papers for me. We were more talkative and nicer to each other. She never mentioned her relationship with Zoro or him in person and she would always avoid the topic about the festival. One day, after the morning shift, Robin invited me for a coffee. We went to the café in the town, a little further away from the company.

Robin again apologized for her actions towards Zoro. I was unsure if I should confirm her that I really like Zoro but in the end I told her, making her another person who knows about that. Robin offering help with my problem was weird but I saw that she had good intentions, so I gave in. Sure, any type of help would be great but I didn't want to do something outrageous, like confessing him via love letter or asking him on a date at night. I just don't want to do anything weird…

…

Back at the company, all was the same. Boss assigned Sanji and me to go on a trip. But, to be more precise, we had to escort a rich family to the resort they picked at our company. We both had to be their tour guides.

We came to the special luxury resort within the day. The next day was full of walking, explaining and story-telling. We nearly had any break. We could finally take a breather when we arrived at the town's park. Sanji and I stood behind the family, awaiting their orders, like we were couple of servants.

"Sanji… remember that time, at the company, you told me you knew who I'm in love with…"

"Yes… and I was right. From the start I knew you liked him… and after I saw you together at the festival, my doubts were confirmed."

_'He-He saw us?!'_

"You probably think that we're together but we're not… I don't know… I'm starting to doubt myself…", I looked to the ground.

'_Even with all that comfort from Robin… and with all her support… I don't think Zoro and I can…'_

"Excuse me, [y/n]-san, but… What are you saying?! It's true, I don't like that guy, but I'm here to support you in your decisions, like I told you before. I'm here to be your friend and help you be happy!", Sanji shouted at me, holding my hands tightly, looking me straight in the eyes. He quickly released me and took a step away, "I'm sorry for this… but, [y/n]-san…", he looked at me again, "You just need to be more confident and believe in yourself. You can do it, you can succeed.", he finally smiled at me, making me smile and nod to him. Just in that moment, the family children called for me so I had to leave.

'_Sanji is now the 3rd__person who knows that I'm in love with Zoro… I wonder how many people, beside Sanji, Nami and Robin also know about it? How much does Zoro know? Sanji is also another person who's willing to help me. He wants to help me get together with Zoro even though he doesn't like him. I shouldn't waste this chance…'_, I thought while walking to the little kids. I just needed to believe in myself.

The children of the family who assigned us really started to like both Sanji and me. The oldest daughter of the three kids, Sarah, was a teenager who loved fashion so she dragged both of us to the beauty salon one day. Even with our negotiations and sayings that we're here on work, she demanded that we get a makeover. So, being as _ojousama_ as she is, Sarah wanted a special treatment for everyone. She wanted us to change our appearance because, as she said, _"we look boring and not pretty at all_". I was a bit scared because I've never been on a makeover according to the ideas of a teenage girl. Hairdresser literally _played_ with my hair, cutting, spraying and tossing it around and over my face. When I was done with hair, the makeup artist took place and _played_ with my face. I was praying to God, wanting this whole makeover to be over soon so I can look what monster I've become.

But, when I was revealed to the mirror, I was really surprised with how good I looked. I had a light makeup and my hair was down, looking really refreshed and new. I was strictly forbidden by the hairdresser to wear any kind of buns. When I came back to the waiting area, Sarah and Sanji were already waiting for me. It was a pleasant surprise to see the "_new_" Sanji. His hair looked messy and was less straight. Also, the bang was flipped and is now covered his right eye. He also looked refreshed. Sarah dragged us out of the salon and to the Mall. She had to buy every little thing she liked. So in the end, Sanji was the one who carried all her bags back to the resort.

That night, right after dinner, I went out to the resort's peaceful garden. Putting the work aside, this journey relaxed me… but I still had many worries buzzing around my brain. So, to let them all out, I found the relaxation just by sitting on a bench in the beautiful and neat garden of the rich resort. I didn't need anything more than a little fountain and the sound of the water pouring on the fountain's stones. I wore a light and beautiful white kimono with pink _sakura_ petals scattered on the lower part of the cloth. It looked like I ran into the blossoming pink tree and picked up some petals along. I really liked this resort's clothes. My little meditation broke the sound of the door, sliding to the side. I turned around to check who was entering and saw Sanji, wearing a light blue striped kimono and _tatami_ slippers. He closed the door slowly, being careful not to make a hard sound and disturb the peace of the garden.

"May I join in?", he asked. I nodded and moved aside, making free space for him to sit, "This seems like Heaven.", Sanji said as he sit a little further away from me.

"Yeah, almost like the other world… far away from all the worries.", I said taking a deep breath.

"Speaking of which... and I don't want to disturb you but… how do you feel now? After we had a talk about… Zoro…", Sanji said in pauses. It was the first time I heard Sanji saying Zoro's name. That both surprised me and warmed my heart.

"Don't feel like you're disturbing me or anything. I think I feel more confident and stronger now. But I still can't find the courage to confess. I feel like a high school girl in _shoujo manga_.", that made both of us chuckle.

"Haha, don't tell me he's your _senpai_.", we continued to laugh but silent as we remembered the place we're in.

"Ah, I don't know… I just feel somehow lost… Zoro seems so close yet he's so distant. Lately, I don't know what he's thinking. We're neighbors for quite some time, we were alone countless of times but… it's just that I'm scared of making the move…", I wasn't sad but in doubt… in doubt of my abilities and my luck of succeeding with Zoro.

The garden was again silent. The water from the fountain was the only thing that made a sound. I heard Sanji sighing hard a few times.

"He was always like that, and I hate it.", Sanji said and I looked at him. He was staring at the opened night sky. His face was calm but without a smile, "Ever since I met him in college, he was always distant from everyone. He looked like an idiot to me, but he was actually very smart. I admired that. But the thing I truly hated about him, and I still do, is his behavior towards people. Yes, he's great at his work and gives it all when dealing with clients but outside of the office, he's just a jerk. And I still can't understand how he's so popular around girls, both in college and now. But, no matter how many confessed to him, he would turn down every single one. That's what pisses me off. He turns down ladies so easily.", Sanji's talking brought me down too.

All that confidence I was bragging about is now falling down the pit and into the despair. Sanji probably noticed the look on my face when he came back quickly, "A-aah, I didn't mean to say that just to bring you down, [y/n]-san. Ah, please down give up.", then he brought my chin back up, "Listen, more than any time now, I want to make you happy. And because of that, I'll do everything I have to make that jerk be with you. I see your dedication and your love for him… and when it comes to love, I don't give up until it happens. So, I won't give up on you two, okay?", he smiled again. These last few sentences of him were like a helping hand reaching to me from that pit of despair. Seeing the severity in his eyes brought me hope.

"Thank you, Sanji.", I finally said and hugged him. This support is all I needed.

"So, about Zoro-_senpai_…", he started it again, making me laugh one more time.

The talk and high school jokes went along. We both laughed and really had a great time, making jokes of Zoro as a jerky _senpai_ and me as a shy _kohai_ in love. The peace of the garden kept surrounding us, mixing with laughter and smiles. The night was getting colder, reminding us that summer is almost over and that fun has to end. The jokes stopped but still with a smile, I greeted Sanji off, wishing him a good night. The clear starry sky and the full moon still shone upon the open and perfectly neat garden, making the scenery look like it was from a painting. Leaving that peaceful place, it was time to sleep…

…

When the escort trip ended and we returned to the office, Sanji and I were the center of the attention. Everyone stared at us, compliment our looks or just stayed silent and later gossip around. Yeah, it was embarrassing as I wasn't used to be the one who people talked about. So, to deal with it, I just kept quiet and focused on my work as hard as I could.

Luckily for Sanji and me, the teasing and weird looks ended after a day or two. And even that summer was slowly ending, the journey orders were still going on. All the other employees went to some trip except me. I was still stuck with the papers and typing all day. The little rest I got at that resort was now already gone and I was tired again.

One day, I got a call from the boss to meet him in his office. I immediately stopped my work and rushed to the elevator, pressing up, to his floor. I was never called to the office and that frightened me. I was in his office just that time when I got this job so I had to make sure I wasn't missing anything.

'_Okay, my notebook's here, my employee card around my neck is here, my hair is not messy… I hope…'_, I took a heavy sigh and entered the elevator, shaking a little. My heart raced as the numbers were closing to 8, boss' office floor. When the door opened on the final selected floor I took another deep breath and stepped out. In the hallway I met Ben Beckman, boss' personal assistant and his close friend.

"Ben-san, I got a call from the boss…", I spoke, interrupting him in checking some papers. He chewed on a toothpick before he spoke up.

"Yeah, he's in his office, waiting for you. Don't worry, it's nothing scary.", he smiled and continued his way.

But, even with that said, I was still feeling nervous. I didn't want boss to wait so I quicken up my walk and grabbed the doorknob. I took a breath to calm myself, knocked and waited for the approval answer.

"_Come in!",_ I heard his voice on the other side of the door and opened it.

"Good afternoon, Sir. You called…", I said, closing the door behind me and approaching the main desk where the boss sat, looking at various papers in his hands.

"Ah, yes, I did… but let's wait. There's one more person I need to talk to and you're the part of this.", boss Shanks kept his serious voice and I tried to stay calm.

Not long after he said that, the knock came from the door. Boss approved and another person came in. It would be rude for me to turn to see who it was so I waited in my place.

"Sir, I'm here as requested.", came the familiar voice behind me. He came next to me so I turned my head to him. He was also surprised that he sees me.

"Good.", boss put down the papers and looked at the two of us, "Now, [y/n] and Zoro… I have a job for you two. A field trip to be exact.", I flinched and looked at Zoro. Our eyes met and I blushed, turning my head away fast, "Oho, so Miss Robin was right – you two ARE perfect for this job. I wish I noticed that first.", boss said with a smile.

'_Did I just show my boss that I blush to Zoro? Has he already figured it out? Shit! I'm so stupid!'_, I wanted to rewind and react differently than blushing.

"Excuse me, Robin did that?", I don't know if I asked or said it but I was surely surprised hearing her name.

"Yes, she requested you two for this job. Originally, it was planned that Zoro and Robin go on this journey but she had to pass it because she's already too busy and she came back from the business trip just two days ago. So, in her place, she suggested you, [y/n]. She said that you and Zoro create a great team and she gave me some nice examples of your work. I trust her so don't make that trust a joke. I'm assigning you to this task, [y/n]. That means I put my trust in you too. Don't let me down."

"I won't, Sir!", I responded like I was a soldier, but with not so loud voice.

"Good. ", he leaned back on his chair.

"Sir, if I may… Can I ask about the details on this job?", asked Zoro.

"Hmmm… I wanted this to be a surprise.", he smiled cheeky, "You'll go on a trip tomorrow morning, starting from the bus station and it would last for five days, that's all you need to know. I can also say that these are some small clients.", he smiled again. The clues he gave us meant nothing. I looked at Zoro and he just shrugged.

Boss dismissed us, took a newspaper and leaned back on his chair. Zoro and I both bowed and excused ourselves from his office.

"What in the world was that?", asked Zoro, going to the elevator.

"I think it was boss' order… We got the job to do. I don't think he would give us some shitty job… right?", I said standing next to Zoro, waiting for elevator to come.

"I just hope it's durable… ", he said and we both entered the elevator, pressing our floor numbers.

We went back to work, still thinking about what kind of a job boss prepared for us and what kind of clients await us tomorrow.

…

"He said '_small clients_' didn't he?", asked Zoro standing next to me with traveling suitcase in his hand.

"M-mm, yeah, he did… But this…", I gripped my suitcase handle and my eye slightly twitched watching the crowd in front of us.

That was the crowd of elementary school kids, running around, being loud and just childish. I didn't know what to think… boss definitely gave us a shitty job.

"Good morning. You two must be our tour guides…", a small woman approached us. A bit taller woman was following. They recognized us, probably because we were in our business clothes, all suited up.

'_Did she just say "our"?'_, I thought, looking at the small fat woman who was happily smiling at us.

"Oh, let me introduce us… My name is Minami Masako and this is my colleague, Tanaka Natsumi-san.", Tanaka-san bowed to us so Zoro and I followed with small bows, "We are the teachers at _'Sakura Elementary School'_. Our students are going on a small field trip today, but I guess you already know that.", she smiled again.

'_Believe me, lady, we don't anything about this mess…_', I guessed Zoro thought the same as I caught his weird expression.

Zoro cut the surprised looks and introduced both of us with a bow. We chatted with the teachers and found out that we're going to the town full of dojos for swordsmanship and martial arts.

'_Oh God, this is gonna be one loud and overall terrible ride. Kids are really hard to deal with. I want to go home~!'_, I sobbed inside but I had to deal with it. After all, this is a job and I always give it my all when it comes to work and business.

I was assigned to go in the bus with Minami-san, the little smiling fat teacher, and her class and Zoro was going with Tanaka-san, the tall skinny teacher, and her bunch of kids. They handed us the plan for the field trip where all the events were scheduled by hours and dates. All the information about the dojos, the hotel we're staying at and the employees were there.

"_Yoroshiku onegai shimasu_!", the both teachers said and bowed to Zoro and me. Zoro and I repeated in the same voice and bowed to them. The teachers went to their kids and left Zoro and me still standing on the bus platform.

"So… do you consider this durable?", I asked and looked at Zoro. He had some kind of disgust on his face but sighed and looked at me.

"We will find out soon… As for now, I don't know how to survive this…", he made me chuckle and we both went to our busses, getting the suitcases and kids in. I gave him a '_thumbs up'_ and entered the bus along with many kids and Minami-san.

When all the kids settled up and sat on their seats, the bus started and we went off the station. After some time of riding, Minami-san, the teacher, stood up and asked me to do so.

"Okay, little ones, listen up!", she awaited for the crowd of kids to silent and look at her. I had a small nervous feeling in my stomach, "This is [y/n]-san. She will be our tour guide on this trip. You better listen to what she has to say or no pudding for desert, okay?", she had a little serious tone but not too harsh for the kids.

"Haaaai!", the children shouted all in the same voice and Minami-san showed me to introduce myself. They all listened to me, with their cute little happy faces.

'_Dealing with kids is not so bad, after all. I hope things go well. But, I wonder… How's in Zoro's bus?',_ that made me think… I never saw him in this situation. With adult clients he's very skilled… I hope he can handle kids too.

"Do you have any questions?", I asked looking around the crowd, after finishing my speech. One little girl raised her hand. I gave her permission to ask.

"Is that tall boy also a tour guide? Why is he for the other class?", she asked so casually.

"Yes, he is the tour guide for the class on the other bus. He is there because our boss decided that way. But don't worry, you will have fun with me too.", I said, trying to keep my smile on.

"I know but… he's so handsome…", little girl began to blush and other started to tease her. Their teacher had to react and calm the bullies down. I came to the girl and kneeled to her seat.

"If you want, I can introduce you to him when we stop. Okay, Kanako-chan?", I read the tag on her shirt and smiled to her. She nodded smiling and went back to talk to her friend who was sitting with her.

Teacher warned them to ask just questions about the journey and nothing else. No one spoke up so I sat back to my seat and enjoyed the ride.

…

Halfway on the road, we had a break. I introduced little Kanako to Zoro as promised and more girls came to us right after. As expected of the popular Zoro-kun.

The little break ended and we went back to the bus for another hour of riding. The children were now peaceful, mostly because they were sleepy and tired. We had no problems with them so I had a chance to relax and take a little nap myself. Yeah, like I could. Instead of kids bugging me, there was the teacher, Minami-san. She would wake me up every minute to offer me some tea, cookies, sandwich, pie, gum, water, napkins, etc. So, in the end, I didn't have any rest.

We finally arrived to our destination, a nice and peaceful town, full of history and tradition. Looking around I immediately thought of Robin, she loves history. The "_hotel_" we had to stay in was nothing more than a traditional inn with wooden walls, floors and _shoji_ doors. All the employees welcomed us, showing us the way to our rooms. Zoro and I separated again as he went to the left and I to the right "_wing_" of the inn.

Luckily for me, I didn't have to share my room with the teacher, Minami-san. The room I was in was very nicely set, with a large vase full of flowers and _bosai_ tree in the other one, all put on different shelves. A small table was set in the middle of the room with a bowl of nicely arranged little flowers. _Shoji_ door on the other side was open, revealing to me a nice and traditional garden, perfectly neat and arranged with all the accessories, plants, a little bridge and artificial bamboo fountain.

'_Mmm, finally… peace and quiet after all that hard work and all that bus riding…',_ I thought and laid my bag next to the closet.

I went out and sat on the veranda, absorbing the peace from the perfect garden. It didn't last long as Minami-sensei called me for lunch. The meals we had were all traditional and surprisingly, the kids didn't mind that - they were extremely grateful to the food that was served to them. After lunch we had a tour over the nearest dojo and ended up watching a practice match. We all came back to dinner and went to sleep pretty early, being all exhausted from the ride all morning.

The next day, we woke up early, had a nice breakfast and continued our tour. Every day was like that. I would see Zoro and be with him just on those tours and during meal times as we weren't allowed to go to each other's rooms. So, just like that, the last day of the field trip came. This time, we visited the town's museum which showed us all the history and tradition of the town. Kids weren't so excited about this one but when the martial arts dojo was the one we visited after lunch, they went insane. The dojo master showed us some the techniques and Zoro, excited like a kid, wanted to try his swordsmanship against some opponents. The dojo had all kind of weapons but Zoro chose a light bamboo practice sword. He was really awesome with it, being the perfect match for the dojo students and the master himself. After those matches, he asked me to try. I denied but with all the kids' support and nagging, I had to agree.

"Show me what you got, neighbor.", Zoro provoked me. I formed a grin and took a long wooded _yari_ from the wall.

"I must tell you… I used to train martial arts but quit right after entering college. So, please go easy on me, okay?"

"Haha, you don't have to worry about that. Just come.", he took a stance and waited for me.

I took a deep breath and rushed to Zoro, showing my moves right from the start. And so, I saw it myself – Zoro is a tough fighter. He's strong and has some awesome moves. I had to really give it my all to fight him but my every attack had Zoro's counterattack. The skills I had in high school were awesome and now, I rusted. I attacked Zoro but it was all futile. He used my own weapon against me – he brought his sword behind the handle of my _yari_, pulled it so I tripped and went flying right to him. As I tripped, I hit Zoro and we both fell, me on top of him. Our faces were so close. His hard breathing hit my face, making me blush harder than ever.

"I guess I win…", he said silently and the pause came up.

The few moments of silence broke the kids with their "_Wooooooow_~!", teasing both of us. I immediately pushed myself up. The whole day, the kids from both classes teased me. They did that to Zoro too but he was much calmer and dealt with the children like a professional.

'_I guess I got some excitement… on our last day here…'_, I sighed packing my bag after another rice dinner.

The next morning we all woke up pretty early to eat our last traditional breakfast and prepare ourselves for the ride back home. I went to my room, took my bag and looked around one more time.

I will really miss this place. I really came to like this little inn. Also, I became really close to the kids from "_Sakura Elementary_" that I didn't want to leave them, too.

We entered the bus around 9 o'clock and arrived home at noon. Kiddies were sad that we're parting ways but I promised them I'll pay them a visit sometimes. Zoro went off ahead and I took a taxi back to my apartment building. When I came out of the elevator, I saw Zoro leaned to the wall, next to my door.

"When did you come back and what are you doing here?", I asked unlocking my door. Zoro was still in his business clothes, the clothes he wore since this morning we left the inn.

"Surprise!", he raised his arm, holding a bag off snacks and beer, "I drive fast, okay? Also, let's have a snack time and eat something different than rice.", he grinned and I shook my head also smiling. I unlocked the door and let him in.

"I didn't even put my bag down and have a rest and you're already bugging me… neighbor.", I let my bag on my bed and came back to the living room where Zoro was already sitting.

"Nah, relax… It's good that it's Saturday so you will have time to sleep all day tomorrow. But, before you hit the bed and go to the land of dreams…", he started and pulled out some papers out of the bag with snacks, "… we must deal with this first.", those were this field trip's papers. I knew what was coming – we had to write a report.

"Can you at least let me take a shower? Just let me relax my muscles a bit, okay?", I whined. Zoro was such a work-obsessed man that it was killing me.

"Okay, you win this time… I'll go, take a shower and change into something lighter, too. See ya later.", he said and went out.

'_Thank God! He's killing me! Zoro's one insane guy! I can't believe he wants to work right after we came back home… What a lunatic!'_, I thought and went to the bathroom, turning on the shower while I got some new clothes.

The shower was really needed. After all those traditional ways of showering in the inn, home shower was a savior.

…

I put the clean and new clothes on and went to look at the papers Zoro brought. They were all about the field trip program, schedules, inn and employees information. They also had info on the teachers and kids that went with us. I opened the bag of chips that Zoro brought and began to read one of the papers.

Zoro came back right after I finished reading and sat beside me, smelling really fresh. He put on that damn hard cologne that filled my nostrils right away. I sat with my feet on the sofa, knees touching my chest, holding the piece of paper. Zoro sat on my left so I was staring at his back as he leaned forward to his laptop that he brought along. His t-shirt slid from his neck, revealing it and making the smell of the cologne more intense and stronger. I was literally losing my mind.

"So, when did you began to train martial arts?", he broke the silence but still looked at the laptop screen.

"Oh, stop it. Are you here to work or chat?", I said, looking back at the paper on my knees.

"What's wrong if I know? Does it really bother you? Why are you embarrassed?", he still looked at the computer, typing without the pause. I just sighed. Once he wants something, he's so determent to get it.

I explained to him the whole history about my training. I trained both kung-fu and swordsmanship since I was little but quit as I moved to another town for college.

"You were pretty good back there in the dojo; I can even say awesome.", he finally stopped typing and looked at me.

"Really, stop it. I forgot all the moves. Those were just some memory and intuition. I once knew how to deal with stronger and bigger opponents than me but I couldn't bring you down."

"It doesn't matter, I still hit the floor.", Zoro smiled to me and I remembered the whole situation back in that dojo. Blushing red I turned my head away and Zoro coughed, going back to his typing.

"Okay… let's work... First off, the number of people in the bus.", he said with a shaky and nervous voice.

"Y-yeah… Ummm, I had 32 children and with the teacher it's 33.", I said, looking at the paper, still nervous.

"And in my bus I had 29 kids and the teacher was 30th.", he typed it all down and went onto the next matter, "Now, let's see the schedule…", he took the papers and searched for the right information.

After some time, the mood was light and cool again. We were talking about the numbers, this last field trip and overall, work. Eating snacks was just not too much to satisfy our stomachs so as Zoro was typing down the report, I cooked us a fine and quick meal. We ate and worked; I typed my own report on my laptop, often consulting with Zoro. We helped each other but there was still so much stuff to do. It was already late night when we finished.

"Aaah, I seriously need a break!", I stretched in the armchair, "Maybe I should ask Nami to give me a week off. Everything's killing me."

"You're lucky… I don't even have a break. I can't take it. I'm the main responsible in my department.", Zoro said, checking his typed report.

"Can't you leave it to Ace? I worked with him and he's awesome."

"No. There are still things that only I must and can do. No one can be my replacement.", he said finally closing his laptop, "Well, I wish you a good night. Sleep well and rest tomorrow.", Zoro said going to the door. He put on his sneakers and I greeted him off. Again, nothing but work happened between us…

…

I had the whole Sunday to rest and I did that. I already had my field trip report ready so I just slept, woke up to eat and then go back to bed again. But no matter how many times I took a nap or even fall into a dream, I still had my thoughts on tomorrow – Monday. In the evening I got up, ate and checked my report again for some potential typos or other mistakes. When I was done, I watched some TV, had a snack and prepared myself for the new Monday.

…

When I arrived to the company I first headed to the print office to print out my report for the boss and the archive. After that was done, I went to the boss' office and gave him the fresh print-out report, telling him all my impressions of the journey. Even though he set the trip up, not telling all about it, I really enjoyed the company of those kids and boss was pleased everything went well. As I came back to my department, I went straight to Nami.

"You can have a break, but not for too long. You have total of 30 days of the vacation days but you can't use them all up.", she said, giving Vivi some papers to print.

"I just need a week, that's all. I'm seriously starting to feel the pain in my shoulders and I want to visit a doctor for quite some time now. So, I need days off to do all the check-ups."

"Okay. Fill this paper and your break starts from today and lasts to the next Monday. You must finish this work day though. And don't forget to sign it!", she shouted and went off.

I came back to my desk and started filling up the vacation paper. The sky outside was getting darker but with no rain. Not minding that, I filled the paper and got back to work.

…

I again stayed overtime but had to rush to the station not to miss my last train home. The sky was still quite gloomy but the rain didn't fall. Thunder would strike from time to time but that was just it. Just two streets were between the station and my building so I took a walk. When I exited the station and crossed the street I heard the familiar car engine and saw the speed car running right pass me. It was Zoro in his mighty Nissan.

'_He probably stayed at work until now…'_, I thought walking on the sidewalk pass the buildings that looked really dark and scary. Even with streetlights, the whole scenery was really creepy. The air began to feel cold and I was wearing my mini skirt for work.

'_All those times and it's now that I didn't have any clean pants for work! Now I'll freeze!'_, I thought quickening my walk.

"My, my… who would've thought that this neighborhood had such cute girls around… He he…", I heard the voice coming from my left and I immediately froze in place. I don't know why I didn't just continue my way and speed up more. The voice clearly sounded like trouble. I turned my head to the side to see a gang of high and massive guys, dressed up somehow like rappers, coming from dark alley.

"Hey, Miss, why don't we have some fun?", one of them asked. I finally snapped out and tried to escape the situation.

"I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry…", I tried to '_run away'_ but failed as one guy grabbed me hard by the wrist.

"Hey, hey now, I asked for some fun. I won't let you escape me. He he… Hey Boss, what do you think of this little girl?", the guy asked turning his head back.

In these situations the kung-fu I was training would be perfect but the guy holding me was just too strong and his grip was the proof. Another big guy stepped in front of me. He pulled my chin towards him.

"She's perfect for the night. I'm taking her. Now, will you nicely come with me, _ojou-chan_?", he asked touching my thigh and slowly getting under my skirt, making me realize I was in real trouble. This guy was clearly the "_Boss_" of the gang.

"Let go of me, you gorilla! And I'm not going anywhere with you, you swine!", I got some courage and spit in his face.

The other lackeys were surprised in my actions but I was just covering my fear. I seriously didn't know what to do. I WAS scared. The "_Boss_" cleaned the spit off his face and straightened up. Small rain drops came to my face. Thunder stuck again, letting out harder drops from the clouds.

"Fine… You want the harder way. I like that…", he took my briefcase from my other hand allowing the guy who was holding me to get my other hand too and hold me tighter. The "_Boss_" tossed my bag away and stood in front of me, "Gorou, when I hit her you let go. Got it?", he talked to the guy holding me. I knew he wasn't bluffing as the look on that fat guy's face was evil.

"Got it, Boss!", Gorou gripped me more with one hand and straightened my head by pulling my hair back, "Oh, this is gonna be fun!", said Gorou and the next thing I knew was the pain in my left cheek and me on the wet and hard concrete, my right thigh hurting. I was hopeless.

All that gym and kung-fu training were useless against these jerks. On my lip, I felt blood. My lip was cut by the hit, my cheek hurt and my ear was slightly ringing. My right thigh was cut through the sock by the fall.

"You're going with me the hard way, so I showed you hard. Now, let's—", by the now pouring rain I barely saw the bullies but I heard their screams. Someone was there… I couldn't see anything. The tears were mixing up with the rain. Another thunder struck, now with a lightning so I closed my eyes. I was frightened to the death.

"So many guys on one girl… that's clearly not fair… But what's worse is… bulling her! I won't let you live this time! You gave me this scar, you punks. That's okay but, you can't touch her!", Zoro's voice came shouting. I couldn't believe my ears…

"You're that guy—", was the last heard of the gang's "_Boss_". The next sound I heard were hard steps running away. I was still on the ground, holding my cheek with my eyes closed. The splatter by the shoes in the water was now intense and it was coming to me. I became scared again. The hand got me and brought me up on my feet.

"Look at me…", the soft voice spoke up. I opened my eyes to see Zoro. He was all wet from the rain, the rain dripping down his hair and his face. He looked at me with a sad expression on his face. He then hugged me. My eyes filled with tears immediately.

"I'm glad you're safe.", with that, one of my tear fell down my cheek, "I wouldn't forgive myself if something had happened to you… You're shaking… But don't worry… I'm here…", thunder hit again making me flinch in Zoro's arms. His hug tightened, "I'm here… and I'll protect you… I'm here, so don't be afraid… I'm with you… [y/n]…", I couldn't stop my tears.

He really spoke that to me, like in my dream. The only difference was that this was real and I was really in Zoro's arms, listening to those words coming out of his mouth. He backed off and looked me in the eyes again. With his thumb he brushed off the tears on my face along with the rain. I was gripping his shirt so tight my nails hurt. But, I didn't want to let him go. Not now, not ever.

"Does it hurt much? Your lip is bleeding.", he tried to clean the blood off but I flinched in pain, "I want to take that pain away from you. Let me…", I slightly nodded, wanting him to save me from the pain I was feeling.

Zoro carefully took my face and leaned forward. He first kissed my left eyebrow, went to the cheek right below my eye and kissed it. Then he went lower and lower. He stopped when he was just next to my lips. He looked at me again, my eyes again filling with tears. I wanted him to take the pain away. Zoro kissed the bleeding wound on the corner of my lips and then slowly moved to the side, kissing me fully. I gave in the kiss and closed my eyes, making my tears fall one after another. The rain poured on us, as we were standing in the alley, barely lit by streetlight. But all of that didn't matter. All that mattered in the moment was Zoro and him only. I gripped his shirt even more, pulling him closer to me. Zoro let go of my face and put his one hand behind my head and held me by the waist with another. His moves were gentle and smooth. He kissed me and kissed me more, tilting his head slowly to the sides, getting the full taste of my wounded lips. When we parted from the kiss he looked at me again and pulled me into another tight hug.

"I don't want to let go of you… ever…", he whispered gently to my ear, making my heart soft and my tears fall more. In that moment, the tears were covering my happiness. I couldn't say anything, I just held Zoro tightly by the shirt.

And we stood in the rain, in a hug and breaking it for few more kisses. We were soaking wet but nothing could stop us now. And I was finally settled, finally happy that he holds me, that he kisses me. I was finally with Zoro…

* * *

_To be continued..._


	9. Chapter 9

_Okay, here's a new chapter... So, remember when I said in the beginning (before the first chapter) that the story is gonna contain everything? Well, this is a warning because..._

_**THIS IS THE IT CHAPTER!**_

_If chapters were to be rated, this one will be M! That's all I can say, you will see for yourself while reading ^^_

_**Summary from the previous chapter**: One day, Robin invited you to a coffee and apologized again, for her actions towards Zoro. You two became close friends so she offered her help to get you closer to Zoro and you accepted. After that, on a field trip, Sanji too comforted you and he too wants to help you in your love even though he doesn't really like Zoro. You came back to work and after some time got assigned for another field trip, this time with Zoro. The boss, Shanks, set you two up with Robin's help and you ended up being a trip guides for elementary school kids. Nothing happened, as usual, just a little falling on Zoro during practice in the dojo... Back home, after one day of working overtime, you walked from the train station home and got dragged in the alley by bullies. Their boss slapped you hard that you fell and injured your thigh. But right when he wanted to beat you more, your savior came. Zoro saved you from those guys and "took your pain away" with a nice, soft kiss, while the rain fell hard._

* * *

The rain poured on us. Cold raindrops hit my face and slid down my hot cheeks. My eyes were closed, like I was inside of a fantasy. Our lips haven't parted. I held Zoro's shirt like it was my last. I held him closely and tightly, not wanting to let him go because all seemed like a dream and I didn't want him to disappear right in front of me. Zoro's arms were around me, securing me. His touch was my proof I'm with him, close to him, kissing him. Zoro broke the kiss first and like he knew that I was going to sneeze just in that moment. He took off his jacket and put it on my head.

"Let's go home… You're gonna catch a cold like that. The weather is cold now. And don't worry, I'm still here... with you.", he said, smiled softly to me and took my hand.

My both wrists were in bruises so I couldn't make fast moves with my hands. Zoro noticed my flinching and looked at my hands. He took both of them and kissed both wrists, one after another. He smiled again, picked up my briefcase and guided me out of the alleyway. His car was parked a little bit far away, across the street, near the train station. I held his jacket with my free hand and looked at his back, as I was walking behind him. Zoro's shirt was soaking wet, his skin being revealed through the fabric. I still couldn't say a word to him. I felt like crying but held those tears away. Zoro was… my knight.

…

We drove back home, Zoro's jacket still on me. The wound on my thigh started to ache again, as the difference of the temperature irritated it. I couldn't dare to show Zoro any more pain. I couldn't worry him anymore. While driving and still, Zoro held my hand. His strong and large hand was covering my small and fragile fingers. But, just his touch made me feel secure and safe.

When we exited the elevator and came to Zoro's door, we stopped and stood silent for some moments.

"Are your keys—", I gripped his hand a little bit harder, making him stop in his sentence. Zoro understood my actions and without any words, found his apartment keys and unlocked the door. He tried to turn on the lights but after few moments a lightning stuck and the power went off.

"Damn it. Stupid electricity.", was all I could hear after a hard thunder. Zoro's grip didn't give up. After a small pause he came to me and hugged me. Rain pouring now even harder, was the only thing that made a bit harder sound than Zoro's breathing. In a hug, I heard his lungs expanding, breathing air, and his heart, pounding in perfect rhythm.

"I would say something to you I never thought that would leave my mouth but… I'm happy to have you here… I'm grateful that you exist… I'm glad you're safe… I'm glad that I met you… [y/n]…", there was no way my tears would stay put. I cried. In the hallway of Zoro's apartment, I cried hearing those soft, sweet and lovable words. And I felt them. I really did. I knew Zoro meant everything he said. Those were the words Zoro wouldn't just say to anyone. Those were the words that had power and strength to open my heart more to him.

My shaky arms slowly lifted, grabbing Zoro by the back. He still hugged me, not making a move. The jacket that was on my shoulders slid down and fell, but no one minded it. The hug just lasted.

"T-thank you…", I left a small and quiet voice, barely saying the words from all the tears and emotions that were building in me,"T-thank you… Zoro… for… for everything…", I once again cried, closing my eyes to feel the moment. My body was shaking, both in excitement and still holding some fear from the event that just happened in the street. Zoro loosened the hug and brought my face to his, for another warm and soft kiss. After some time, he remembered that we are in cold wet clothes and that I'm in a bit wounded state so he took my hand again and, by the light of his cell phone, slowly walked to the bathroom.

Zoro took two big soft towels, something from a little cabinet and guided us out. From the bathroom, that was just the turn from the apartment door, he turned left again and continued straight to open another door. This room we went into had opened curtains that some night light was getting in. I recognized the big windows and the room. It was Zoro's bedroom, with a big closet and a large and wide bed. I was in here that time Nami called me from the hospital to get his clean clothes. Entering his bedroom made me feel warmer and a bit uncomfortable.

Zoro dropped the things he was carrying and took one towel. He turned to me, let go of my hand and started wiping my face and drying my hair. The look in his eyes went sad when he got to the wound on my lip. He tapped that place very carefully and gently. That little light from the outside was still enough for me to see Zoro's sad eyes. I placed my right hand on his cheek, making him look me in the eyes. I brought myself closer to him and kissed his, telling him that way not to worry for me to much, because I will be fine, as long as he is with me. Zoro kissed back, again wrapping his arms around me.

"Your clothes are all wet… If you want, I can go to your—", I stopped him by shaking my head. I formed a little smile, making Zoro smile as well. He then went to his closet and looked around, "I don't have anything small… I don't know how it will go on you. But, since it's just temporary… you can wear this.", he turned to me, holding a white t-shirt, "I know it would probably be baggy on you but… for now…", he came to me, looking weird at the t-shirt. He then looked at me and I noticed, with a weak light from outside, he blushed… His cheeks turned a little pink, making me smile, "I-I' still have to find something so you take this and… yeah… I'll be back in a minute!", he handed me over the shirt, streaming out the room.

I looked at the piece of fabric in my hands, smiled to it and brought it near my face. It felt like Zoro; it smelled like him, too. I looked around the room - It was clean and tidy, it had feeling of Zoro, his personality and emotions, it represented him in the fullest. I turned back to the shirt, took a small, happy sigh with a smile and put it on the bed. I needed to take off the wet clothes and put on something warm. I was beginning to feel the cold taking over my muscles.

…

I was still feeling cold, even after I wiped the water off me and dried my hair a bit with a soft, large towel. I was embarrassed. I was standing in Zoro's room, wearing just his t-shirt on… just the t-shirt…

I blushed hard imagining stuff. My thoughts were cut by the knocking on the door. I approved and Zoro once again entered, carrying something.

"Since the electricity is down and we just came in all cold and wet, I found a blanket I use in winter. It's really soft and warm. You should wrap yourself in it and get warm.", he said, putting the huge blanket on the bed. He was now wearing new, clean clothes and his hair was dry too. But me… Even though the shirt was covering my skin all the way to the middle of my thighs, I still pulled it down, blushing in embarrassment. I nodded to his sentence, looking to the side, "Are you okay? Are you cold? Here…", he came to me and put the winter blanket around me, hugging me with it, "You don't need to worry anymore… You're safe with me now…", he whispered, kissing me afterwards. Once he touched the little wound on my lip he backed off, like he remembered something. Zoro went to the pile on the bed, that were the things he brought earlier and took a little tube from it, "This is that balm you gave Robin to treat me. I didn't want to use it much as it was yours and now you need it.", he took a little balm from the tube, put it on his thumb and slowly rubbed on my cheek and my lip, kissing the healthy side of my lips. I was enjoying his kisses as they drove me over the top. Even just his touch was sensational and enjoyable.

"I will never let you get hurt… Through the dark or the light, I will be with you, protecting you from any harm…", he then came to my ear, putting his chin on my shoulder, "[y/n]… I want to be with you… I like you so much… Please… let me be by your side…", he didn't move from that spot so I put my arms around him again.

"Zoro… I loved you all this time…. Even with all those fights, arguing and insults, I still treasured my feelings for you. I couldn't hate you even if I wanted to… Zoro… I need you… Stay with me…", I finally said it! The first kiss wasn't in any romantic place or situation but at least I confessed my feelings in the moment I thought was right. I also couldn't hold them anymore. I wanted him to hear those words. I just wanted Zoro to know.

Zoro came back to me and kissed me again, leaning so close that the blanket fell off of me.

"Thank you…", he said after parting from a kiss, "Thank you for giving me the chance. I promise I'll be there with you. And all that because… I love you too.", hearing those words leave his mouth made me a little shocked, tears again coming out, but I was glad to hear them. I felt like I have now all I needed, all I wanted for long time. All that I wanted happened: Zoro was there, he returned my feelings, he said he loved me, he kissed and hugged me and that was all I needed – Zoro!

I surprised him by jumping into another kiss, not caring for any wounds. I felt healed and happy. I felt the love! Zoro took me in his arms, slowly going back and finally sitting on the bed, placing me on his lap. Our kiss went from soft and sweet to passionate and hot. We both opened our mouths, letting our tongues out to dance in the perfect rhythm. Zoro's arms trailed their way on my back and I leaded my fingers from his arms to his neck and through his soft hair. Zoro's tongue became wilder and dominated over mine. His kissing was professional, wild but lovable, all in the same time. His other hand went over my thigh but I had to break the kiss as he touched the wounded area.

"Sorry, I forgot. I'll treat it right away.", he confused me, but turned to grab the balm tube again. Zoro took some healing balm in his hand and applied on my wound, slowly massaging it. I clenched me teeth to bear with the pain. I was sitting on his lap on the side, so while massaging my thigh Zoro also kissed me on my left cheek and ear, to make the pain turn into nice feeling and finally go away. Zoro continued his way and now kissed the left side of my neck, making me bite my lip as I didn't want to let any embarrassing sounds.

"Let me hear you…", he whispered to my ear, making shivers run through my body. He still massaged my thigh, even though he was out of the cream. My breathing steady sped up, my fingers gripping Zoro's hair more tightly as he continued to kiss, lick and suck the special spot on my neck. He found that spot easily, exploring in kisses, staying there, a little bit more under my ear. Zoro suck on that tender skin making me finally release a soft moan. Probably wanting to hear it more, he continued to do his job but he was now going up with his hand on my thigh. Slowly rubbing his thumb in circles and tracing up with his hand, my breathing was now uncontrollable, mixed with multiple moans.

Like he knew my thoughts, Zoro slowly pushed me down and laid me on the bed, placing my head slowly on the big pillow. Not making even a little pause in his kisses, Zoro now went to the other side of my neck, kissing it all over, as he was now placed over me. My arms, however, fell limp beside my head. I was now, in the fullest, giving myself to Zoro and he used that opportunity to show me what he could really do. Supporting himself with one hand and knees, he used his other hand to trace it over my arm, over the neck and to my face, making him come back for more kisses.

'_I want it to happen. I want Zoro! I want to do it with him! I want it now!'_, my mind went insane. My body was now filled with pleasure and was ready for anything that will happen.

'_I want him to touch me more…'_, I put my hands around his neck again, making the kiss deeper.

Zoro broke the kiss and looked at me. His eyes were questioning me and, for once, I knew what was on his mind. So, in response, I nodded, grabbing his shirt. Zoro sat up, pulling me with him. I again sat in his lap, this time facing him so that we kissed more. I helped him and together we pulled off that annoying t-shirt he was wearing. I was revealed with the fine structure of Zoro's chest. His muscles were tight and intent, well sculpted and strong, dream come true for me. I trailed my fingers over his muscles which twitched on my touch. Zoro also had a big scar, coming from his left collarbone and going all the way to the right side of his stomach. I didn't want to question him about the nature of that scar but looking at it gave me nice chills and fire burning inside me. I placed my hand on his left shoulder, touching the scar's start with my thumb. I met with Zoro's eyes once again. I kissed him, coming closer in his lap. I couldn't get enough of him!

The rain was still falling on the town. It washed the streets and put all the people in their homes. The rain connected the ground and the sky. It also connected two souls, two personalities that often clashed in the past but were now in a perfect match. The rain fell on the town, creating a storm and cutting down the electricity. But for the two connected souls, that absolutely didn't matter. They were now happy, kissing and loving each other in the now warm room. Out of those two souls, only love exploded.

The night became magical. All that love brought Zoro and me together. I was blessed with him, his kisses, hugs and his love towards me. I was grateful I have him. I was happy, as I planted another kiss on his lips, shifting then to his neck. It was now me as the one who was kissing, instead of being kissed. I came back to his face, kissed his lips again and then started planting little butterfly kisses on his cheek. Zoro closed his eyes and enjoyed. I pulled his head down a little, kissed him on the forehead and went straight to his left eyebrow where his scar was. I kissed it and stayed there a little. I again went kissing his cheek and then shifted to his left ear where his three piercings were. I licked and kissed the earlobe, making Zoro produce short sounds of pleasure. I found his weak spot! My work was intensively as I really wanted to hear his voice so badly. I wanted to hear sounds that never would leave his mouth in the normal circumstances.

"A-ah…", he let it out, the small but sexy groan, "Shit…", he said after I stopped and looked at him. Zoro had a small frown on his face but I just smiled to him. After a few seconds of just sitting in his lap, I felt a strange pocking in the lower area, and it was coming from Zoro. I knew exactly what it was.

"Sorry…", he said with a bit sad voice. I shook my head and looked at him.

"Don't be… I want to do it… I want to do it with you.", another confession left me. I said it! My deepest desires were now on surface, making Zoro look at me surprised. I leaned to his ear and repeated my last sentence, "… I want to do it with you… Zoro…", that drove him off! He took the bottom of the shirt I was wearing and took it off in less than 2 second. I was now left naked in front of Zoro, sitting in his lap. My fully naked being was facing him. Zoro traced my body with his eyes, looking up and down and in the end looking me in the eyes. He leaned to me, kissed me and hugged me.

"You're so beautiful…", he said, making me smile and hug him back. Zoro then slowly put me back down on the bed and again placed himself above me, "I just want to make you happy.", he said and my eyes filled with tears again. One slid down on my cheek but he caught it and wiped it off with his thumb. I called his name, putting my hand on his left cheek, making him kiss it gently.

Then, Zoro came back to me and started his play. It began with a passionate kiss on the lips, followed by sucking that weak spot on my neck, my collarbone and then finally reaching my breasts. He took one in his mouth and held the other one with his hand. His tongue worked magic, sending me waves of pleasure that came out of my mouth as constant moaning. Zoro switched to the other boob, now folding the one he just left. Again, working with his tongue drove me crazy but when he added teeth and harder sucking I fell into trance!

"Z-Zoro… A-ah…", I didn't know what else to say. I went crazy! My being was swallowed in pleasure and ecstasy! While sucking on my breast he reached his hand down my stomach and to my woman's area. And just with one touch by his finger, I moaned louder. Zoro stopped playing with my boobs and looked down where his other hand was. I could barely look at him because most of the time, my eyes were shut. But now, breathing hard I looked what he was doing. Zoro selected his index finger and rubbed on my clit, making me moan louder and louder.

"It's already super wet… Dear, you're awesome.", he made me blush and shut my eyes. Not waiting for anything, he inserted his middle finger into me, making me arch my back so much I barely sat up, "… so hot…", he said really soft. I tilted my head to the back, still not looking at Zoro, just feeling his finger sliding in and out of me and hearing the heavy rain outside. But, Zoro didn't just penetrate me with one finger, he added one more, stretching my inside, also coming to me and kissing my exposed neck and that tender spot he left mark on.

"I want to taste it… I want to feel you…", he whispered in the kissing pauses, still not stopping his fingers that went wild in me.

"Y-yes… do it…", I barely said through my uncontrollable moaning. So, after than Zoro went back to his busy hand and not taking his fingers out, he began to lick my wetness and now tense clitoris. He sucked on it hard, not sparing me even a bit. I bit my lip countless of times, almost letting the blood come out again from the wounded area. With his other hand, Zoro went below and grabbed my ass, massaging it in circles.

"Z-Zoro… I… I want you… now… a-ahhh…", I said panting heavily, looking at him with half opened eyes. I also wanted to play a little but Zoro already let go of me and placed himself above me, ready for action. His boxers were still on but with one move of a hand, he took them off, revealing his hard, long and tense member. I got both scared and excited just by looking at it.

"You…you're no fair…", I said, calming down my breathing. Zoro looked at me confused, "I want to taste you, too. Let me…", I sat up and pushed Zoro down to the other side of the bed. I licked my lips a couple of times and got on the job. I gently took Zoro's member in my hand, pushed my hair over my ear and began by kissing the tip, making Zoro flinch a little. The kiss followed the lick, the lick grew into licking and then he was finally in my mouth. I felt a pre-release hit my palate, but continued to work, moving my head up and down, faster and faster with every moment passing. With a corner of my eye, I saw Zoro's hand griping the sheets tightly, all his muscles tightening up. I also heard him swallowing hard, torturing himself not to let a sound. I already made him moan once and I wanted to do it again. I continued my work, speeding up the rhythm, taking Zoro as much as I could. I pulled him out of my mouth, just to get some air and lick him from the bottom back up. I worked my tongue around his tip, also sucking it, softly in the start but harder as the time passed.

"Sh-shit…", he growled. But what I wanted to hear was another groan so I put him back in my mouth and just sucked it. Tasting Zoro's member was far greater than I expected so I enjoyed every single move I made. Finally, after some time of intensive blow job, Zoro let his voice out, groaning unusually sweet and sexy. He was now panting heavily, the sheets already creased. He took my head and pulled me up, making me quit my work. He brought me up and kissed me, feeling his own taste with his tongue playing with mine.

"Enough with this, I can't take it anymore.", he said looking me in the eyes.

"I know exactly what you mean.", I replied letting Zoro push me on the pillows once again.

He licked his fingers, fingered me once more before he placed the tip of his manhood on my entrance. He looked at me, like he was waiting for the approval but I just smiled at him as a response. As an adult, I knew that the size of the penis results the pain when entering and Zoro was big, wide and thick. I was scared a bit but also confident because I trusted Zoro. He leaned to me and slowly pushed himself in. We were now one. We both made a similar face that looked like it was in pain, with our mouths and our eyes slightly open. I relaxed my body, allowing Zoro to fully enter. After he made himself in, he stopped and breathed heavily, like he was running a marathon. I acted the same – I held him by his arms that he supported himself with, breathed like a maniac and looked at him with a little sweat drops coming from my forehead. After some time, Zoro started to move, stretching my inner walls with his huge member. I gripped the blanket underneath me, my whole body shaking. At first, Zoro's thrusts were slow and gentle but as time passed he quickened it and moved easily. I felt him on my walls, sliding easily as my juices made his work easier. Zoro held my wounded thigh, continuing to thrust with more force than before. And with his every thrust in, waves of pleasure hit me and brought my brain to a mess. I only saw Zoro and felt only pleasure, coming from my lower stomach and hitting my mind. I was no longer cold. However, my body burned and sweat was coming down my forehead. Zoro leaned to me and, without slowing his pace, kissed me. His kiss was messy but also sweet. I put my arms around his neck, bringing him closer to me, making him go deeper.

In one moment, when Zoro came closer to me, he hit me in that one spot which made my eyes widen and my mouth open. That was the spot that I wanted him to hit constantly and he did.

"T-there… don't stop…", I whispered to his ear making Zoro determined and making him go steady, not changing the rhythm and the angle of the thrust.

"Sh-shit… [y/n]… I'll come… soon…", he barely said it. I felt his back becoming stronger and tense, letting out more sweat.

"Just… just a bit more…", I said and hugged him more as I was reaching my own climax.

"I'll wait… you just… come for me…", his seductive voice drove me crazy as I felt stronger waves going through my body. I called his name a couple of times, moaned louder than ever and gripped his hair tightly. The final wave hit me as I screamed Zoro's name out loud. He knew I was done so he sat up and put me in his lap, supporting me with every thrust. Zoro didn't want me to finish off so easily. I was still feeling the pleasure of the orgasm and changing the position actually worked good on me. Zoro was now hitting that spot harder.

"I think I'm gonna…", he said, closing his eyes, speeding up the pace. Zoro again pushed me on the bed, thrust a couple more times with hard groans and pulled out his member, his warm product hitting me, coming on my stomach, "I…I'm sorry…", he said, panting hard. Zoro then took a tissue box from the drawer next to his bed and wiped off his semen. I also panted heavily, releasing the sheets I was gripping hard. I couldn't move, I just looked at Zoro sitting in front of me, wiping the sweat off his forehead. He again came above me, kissed me in the forehead and then on the lips. He formed a happy smile on his happy face.

"You were amazing. Just… amazing.", he said, making me smile too. But then, he hugged me, putting his head on my shoulder, "I haven't made a mistake for loving you… I am so glad you're with me…", he whispered so gently and soft, making me melt from the inside. I pushed my fingers through his hair.

"That is exactly what I want to say to you… thank you, for loving me… thank you, for being here with me… I couldn't be happier than I am right now.", I said gently to him. Zoro again came to my face and kissed me, caressing my cheek.

Zoro is all I ever wanted from a man. In my eyes, he was perfection. He had it all! His personality would sometimes be bad but when you closely look, Zoro was just another soft human with lovely emotions that he showed me just now. I was extremely happy to be with him. My dream came true! I was with the one guy I loved secretly for a long time. I was happy and nothing else mattered!

In the next moment, Zoro and I were laying in the bed, covered with a soft blanket, looking at each other. He was turned to me so the light that came through the window from the outside lit his handsome face. He looked me in the eyes, smiling and caressing my hair, taking it off my face.

"You're beautiful… and you always will be…", he said, making me smile wider and come closer to him. We were still naked so when I came closer I pushed Zoro on his back so I can come and lay on his tight chest.

"I don't want to fall asleep… I'm afraid, if I do so… I'll lose you. You will go away from me. I'm still afraid that this seems unreal.", I said with uneasy voice but Zoro kissed me on the top of my head and hugged me closer.

"Don't worry… Like I said, I'll always be there for you. I want to be by your side as well. I don't want to lose you once we finally got together. So, if you're tired, go to sleep, I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

"Thank you.", I smiled but remembered one thing so I lift my head and laid on top of Zoro, looking him in the eyes, "I got a free week but… You have work tomorrow! That means… you will leave me…", I became sad. In the first, Zoro looked confused but then he smiled to me.

"_Baka_, I may have work but I will come back to you right after I finish. For now, I will stay with you the whole night.", even if he said that, I was still feeling a bit sad… or maybe I was just overreacting…?

"Okay… but I will stay here until you come back! You gotta deal with it.", I said with a serious tone, making Zoro burst into laugh.

"Hahaha, you're so cute when you're like that!", he made me blush with that sentence, "That is just fine with me. It would be great to actually have someone home after coming from work… Now, get some sleep.", he dragged me closer to him and kissed me fast on the lips. Zoro once again turned to the side, my back now facing him, and wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Don't leave me, Zoro…", I whispered with a sad tone.

"I won't, trust me… Good night, [y/n]…", he said, his warm breath hitting the back of my neck.

I fell asleep quickly, in Zoro's arms, being protected by any harm. I dreamt our future filled with happiness and smiles. I could say I was truly happy, both in reality and in my dream.

…

Feeling like my face was burning woke me up. I was turned towards the window which didn't have curtains closed so that the fire star shone right on me. I frowned and turned to the other side. As the Sun still burned I couldn't fall asleep again. I slowly opened my eyes, waking up. I groaned and stretched, hitting my hands in the back of the bed. After that little stretching I sighed and opened my eyes fully. I was still naked, lying on the soft grey sheets, covered with big and fuzzy light brown blanket. I turned my head to the side where was the other big grey pillow. Smiling happily I reached my hands under the blanket and touched my stomach, remembering last night.

That was a magical night where Zoro and I were one, romantic night where Zoro showed me his love towards me. I giggled and went under the fuzzy blanket, _fangirling_ hard on my own thoughts. The blanket smelled nice, almost sweet which made me happier. I went out of the blanket and crawled to his side – the side where Zoro slept last night. Sheets were cold, meaning he went off long time ago, but even if he wasn't there, the sheets and big grey pillow still smelled like him. I hugged that pillow rolling all over the bed, like a kid.

When I was done with _fangirling_, I looked at the black digital clock on the night stand. It was showing 10:05AM, which was pretty late as I got used to waking up early for work. I got up and searched for my clothes but there was nothing on the floor, where I left them. In that case, I put on the shirt Zoro gave me last night and made the big bed.

'_He lives alone yet he has a bed this large… But, I guess it's useful in "those" situations...'_, I giggled to myself putting the black satin cover and same black pillows on the bed. I also moved the thin curtains over the windows, blocking the Sun a little bit.

I became nervous to leave the room so I opened the door and slightly peeked out. No one was there, of course, just a hallway that lead to the front door. I walked out and turned left on the end of the hallway, to the kitchen with living room. Those two rooms were separated only by the kitchen counter and a shiny glass dining table in front of it. On the table was a black vase with some flowers and in front of it was a piece of paper. I picked it up and recognized Zoro's handwriting.

_'Good morning, beautiful girl...'_, I blushed immediately but continued reading, _'I didn't have time to cook you breakfast, forgive me, so I ordered it. It's on the kitchen work table. I wrapped it up so it doesn't get cold but if you want it to be warmer use the microwave. The door is locked and the key is on the key hanger next to the door, if you want to get out. As for your clothes, I put them in the wash downstairs, along with mine. Please, check on them later, okay? You can use the shower and the whole apartment, of course. If you need me, my number is next to the phone so feel free to call me anytime. Wow, I wrote a Hell of a lot, sorry. Just one more thing… I can't wait to come back and see you. Love you, Zoro'_

I think I read that last two sentences over 1000 times! I literally wanted to scream my lungs off but I somehow held it in and just smiled wide, hugging the note. Zoro was at work, but I really thought like he was overseas. I missed his so much!

After taking a nice and relaxing shower and taking care of my wounds right afterwards, I ate the delicious and rich breakfast that Zoro saved for me. I stayed in Zoro's shirt but I had no underwear so I shamelessly put his boxers on. I know, I'm crazy but… but… I enjoyed it so damn much! In his room I sat on the bed, stayed like that for some time and then again went crazy, rolling over the bed, hugging myself aka Zoro's clothes.

After more _fangirling_ on his bed and all over the place, I put on a bathrobe I found and quickly rushed to the basement to pick up the clean clothes. Luckily, no one saw me, so I was safe. Still being stubborn and wearing Zoro's clothes, even though I brought mine from the wash, I put on the apron and went straight for the pots and pans. I decided to prepare a nice lunch for Zoro.

'_He has done so much for me so this is just a small thing I can do in return. Hope he'll like it…'_, I thought smiling happily, preparing a home-made meal for Zoro. I want to be there when he returns home and welcome him with a smile and nicely cooked meal.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	10. Chapter 10

_Sorry for the wait - life is just being a b!tch. Let's move on with a new chapter right away!_

_**Summary from the previous chapter**: After you got beat up in the alley and saved by Zoro, you two went home. You didn't want to leave him, you were afraid to stay alone so you went with him to his apartment. The electricity went off because of the storm. You two went to his room, you changed into clothes Zoro gave you and when he came back and treated your wounds, right of the bait, you had sex with him. It was really awesome and you enjoyed like it was Heaven. You stayed with him until the morning when Zoro had to leave for work. You decided to repay him for saving you by cooking something special for your new lover._

* * *

The enormous refrigerator in Zoro's kitchen had it all. It almost looked like the one from the store. My selection was really wide and I had the opportunity to choose some of the finest ingredients to prepare one really rich meal for the man I loved. I giggled to my happy thoughts imagining and re-creating Zoro's happy expression over and over again. Humming the wonderful love song that was played on the TV, I finally finished chopping the vegetables and put them into a big pot.

Earlier, I gave Zoro a call at the office to ask him when does his shift end and he told me an exciting news – Boss assigned them all to different shifts so it's goodbye to working all day. Zoro was assigned to the morning shift which means he would be back just in time for the lunch, around 3PM. As he had to go back to work, I forgot to ask him about my shifts. I just hopped boss gave me the same shift as Zoro.

I looked at the clock and it was already noon. I only had about 3 hours to complete my cooking but I had so many stuff to prepare I was afraid I won't make it in time. When I saw all those delicious ingredients in the fridge I couldn't stop myself from preparing more than one meal. I was now stuck with several dishes, rushing all over the kitchen now not listening and not minding to the music on TV.

'_Okay, I have this plate of appetizer done and the soup's done too, chicken legs are in the oven, that's okay… Steaks are nicely cooking in the pan… Shit! I forgot the salad!'_, I once again rushed to the fridge and luckily found some lettuce and tomatoes that will together make a nice and fresh salad. I also spotted some chocolate and sweet stuff in the lower sections of the fridge so I got an idea to make a couple of parfaits after I'm done with the meals.

Just as I put the prepared salad in the fridge and turned off the stove with chicken, my cell phone rang. I searched everywhere to find the ringing devil but remembered that Zoro was carrying my briefcase last night and it was all dirty and wet. So, in the end, my briefcase with papers and other accessories was hanging in the bathroom and my cell phone was wrapped in a towel. I answered just in time, not checking the number first.

"_Hello, [y/n]?",_ I recognized Robin's voice on the other side of the phone. I took the briefcase and all the stuff with me, placing them on the living room couch.

"Hey, Robin! Yes, yes, it's me. Sorry for the wait, I couldn't find my phone.", I apologized, going back to the kitchen and taking the cooked steaks out of the pan.

"_Ah, that's okay… I'm calling you to let you know about the news around the company that came in just today.", I was guessing she was going to tell me about the shifts but I just stayed silent and listened, "So, this morning, Boss came in with a shift schedule. We now have a decent work time that is going to apply starting tomorrow but since you're on a break, I took responsibility to inform you."_

"Wow, Robin, that sounds very refreshing. I can now be at ease and be able to rest for some time. But, in what shift was I put?", inside I was praying for Robin to say the morning shift.

"_Oh, let me check..",_ I heard papers as she rustled to find the info, _"Oh yes, here it is. You were put in the morning, 1__st__ shift along with Sanji and several of our colleagues.",_ my prayer worked! I will be working in the morning, just like Zoro.

Robin continued her talk, saying that she will be in the afternoon shift with Vivi and Nami to help her but she may sometimes come in the morning. She also said that when she's not around that I become the chief of the department in the morning shift. That both made me excited and worried. Being the head of the department wasn't easy and it takes so much concentration, not to say a grave responsibility. After the talk about the shifts and department leading, Robin asked me to do some minor jobs that were coming to my desk and to e-mail her after I finish.

"Ah, okay, that's not a big problem. I'll type it all on my laptop this afternoon and send them to you. But… I also have a favor to ask you…", I looked at my messed up briefcase and the papers that were on the couch, "Could you e-mail me my work from yesterday, please?"

"_Why? What happened? Did you lost them or something?"_, she asked.

"Umm… I was caught by the rain yesterday so I put my briefcase over my head and…"

"_Okay, I understand… don't worry, I'll send them to you. They are in your computer, right?"_

"Yes. Thank you so much, Robin. I owe you.", I almost bowed by talking on the phone.

"_Ah, no need. It's really fine. So, what was the file name again…?"_, she asked as I heard the typing on the computer 's keyboard.

"Umm… from what I can read on these ruined papers… it says April, this year.", Robin typed and the pause came up.

"_Oh, I need to put you on my earphone so I can type. Can you tell me what folder is it in?"_

Suddenly I felt an arm wrapping around my waist and little kiss being planted on the back of my neck. I turn immediately and faced Zoro. He didn't seem to care as I was panicking that Robin might hear his kissing sounds. I was trying to shake him off but Zoro didn't give up. He was hugging and kissing me, not caring who might hear.

"U-ummm, it's probably on the larger hard drive… T-this year's folder… and t-then in "fie-eld trips" fold-er…", his kisses were making my body hot and I was slowly giving in the pleasure.

"[_y/n]… is everything okay there?"_, after I heard her voice I snapped and tried to get away from the animal grip Zoro had. It was all futile, Zoro held me tight now undoing the apron and lifting up the t-shirt I was wearing, touching me on the belly, slowly going up.

"A-ah, I was just pre-preparing some lunch and this pot was so heavy…", I now have up on resisting Zoro and letting him do as he pleases.

"_Haha, it's only that. I thought I called in the wrong time… Heh, it's good that I have this little earphone so I wouldn't have to put you on speaker."_

"Hehe…", I only left a small laugh. Robin was so right – it was a "wrong time" now but she wasn't the one who was guilty. It was this wild tiger holding and harassing me… not that I didn't like it…

Zoro grabbed my hand which I was holding the phone, pull it down and turned my head to him to kiss me fully on the lips. He came up with tongue play right away, not wasting any second of the opportunity where I was in a pinch. I gave in the kiss and made Zoro a winner because he was able to seduce me anytime and anywhere, no matter what I do. I hear Robin's voice again and broke the kiss to bring the phone back to my ear.

"Umm, say it again Robin…?"

"_I said, I found the file. You typed quite much… I'll mail this to you right away."_

"Okay, thank you again. You really helped me out today. I must go now… I-I have some cookies left in the oven.", Zoro attacked my neck again but as soon as I finished the sentence, he turned me so that we were facing each other. He had that evil smirk on his face that made me melt every time.

"_Of course you do… I'll leave that minor work to you, then. Goodbye.",_ she said with unusual tone, like she wasn't believing my words.

"O-okay. Bye!", Zoro then took the phone out of my hand and hung up, tossing it on the armchair right after.

"All that yapping… I couldn't stand it anymore. I was prepared to grab that phone and smash it. You are on a break and they still call you?!", Zoro almost yelled, holding me tightly, having his arms around my lower back.

"First of, _Okaerinasai_! Second, Robin just called me to let me know about the shifts and I was the one who asked her to mail me the work that got wet from the rain yesterday. Don't act so mean."

"Oh, it was you… then…", he grabbed me by the ass, lifted me up and went to sit on the couch, placing me in his lap, "… _Tadaima_…", he said with low and seductive voice, bringing my face into the passionate kiss. Again, not wasting any time, Zoro dominated with his tongue over mine. Just by kissing, I was going insane. My body reacted to the sensational chills and I brought myself closer to him to the back of the couch. His hands also worked magic – massaging my butt over the boxers I was wearing and going up my back, pulling the t-shirt up nice and slowly. His hands went back to my boxers. He placed his both thumbs on the edge of the boxers, pulling them down slowly.

"Let's go with a quick one…", Zoro said after parting from a kiss. I immediately stood up from him. It was like his voice brought back my mind to life.

"No! First, we need to eat. I spent the whole day cooking all that for you. There will be no sex until you eat my food."

"What?! Are you insane?! I don't want to eat food!", Zoro stood up and came to me, grabbing my hips again, "The only thing I want to eat is you, my love."

"I said no! W hat's gone into you?", a small grin was forming on my lips as I escaped his grip and went to the kitchen to bring out everything and set it on the table. Zoro AGAIN came to me and tried seducing me by kissing my neck… again.

"I was just so happy when I saw you here. To be honest, I was scared if I'll find you in my apartment. I really wanted to see you and I just want to feel… argh, that awesomeness from last night. Don't you want it?", he talked over my shoulder while I was putting the food in the plates. I turned and kissed him on the lips.

"Last night was so wonderful, I could never forget it. But, I was also excited that I made all of this. I wanted you to try it. I put a lot of effort into this cooking.", Zoro looked kind of sad but I brought his face up so that our eyes met, "Besides, after you eat this, you will have a super energy in the bedroom. What do you say, hm?", I said with a kind of a seductive voice.

"Let's dig in!", he yelled and we both bursted into laughter, "Heh, anyways… that clothes.."

"Oh, I'll go to my place and chang—", I was looking at the t-shirt but Zoro stopped me and made me look at him. He smiled so sweetly I almost screamed but I held it in and just blushed.

"There's no such need… After all, seeing you wearing those clothes turns me on so much…", I blushed even harder but quickly made a comeback.

"I can't wait for you to take them off…", I said, teasing him by placing my leg up between his legs.

"Damn it! Where's that food?! Let's eat already!", he said, letting go of me, taking off and tossing his tie to the living room. I just giggled a little and put all the food on the table.

Zoro loved everything he tasted and was giving me a nice feedback saying that the he haven't tasted food this delicious in a long time. We ate and chatted, often saluting with a glass of fine red vine. When I brought the parfait, Zoro wanted to cry as he was already full. I ate quite much myself but I also wanted to eat the sweet desert…

"Hmmm… I may not be full if I eat it in a 'special way'…", Zoro said, looking at the large glass of desert. Then he stood up, took the parfait and my hand. He guided straight to the bedroom. I now knew his idea.

"You're going to ruin the sheets.", I alarmed.

"If I don't care about that, and it's my apartment, then you shouldn't care either. Now, let's eat.", Zoro took a little of the desert and fed me. But, as soon as he pulled the spoon out of my mouth he came and kissed me, taking the pieces of the desert from my mouth with his tongue. "Mmmm… tastes so much better this way… wonderful…", he kissed me again, feeding me more.

I also wanted to try that so I took the glass and fed the sexy wild office worker. But, I didn't actually feed him nicely –the cream was half in his mouth and half all over his mouth and I gladly cleaned it with my lips and my tongue. I messed his face with cream once more before I put the glass on the night stand. I "cleaned" the mess, slowly undressing him. The jacket fell off nice and fast but I was gladly enjoying unbuttoning his shirt while kissing him. Zoro helped me with his clothes but I read his moves as he was impatient to finally get to the bed with me. He again put his strong perfume on and made the sweet taste in my mouth bitter as I kissed and licked his neck. Being careful not to show his impatience and his rough side, Zoro slowly pushed me to the bed. I lay down first and Zoro followed, placing himself over me. The kissing didn't stop even for a second. Zoro pushed my t-shirt up and finally got it off of me, revealing him my chest now in broad daylight. He smirked to the view, showing that his more than satisfied with what he was in his bed. Zoro sat up and took the glass of parfait, ready for a sweet play. So, without hesitating he just poured the chocolate and the cream that was in the glass from my chest and down to my stomach. That mix on my body gave me shivers but when Zoro's hot tongue touched my stomach to nicely "clean" the desert, I started to shiver even more. After the stomach, Zoro got to my boobs and started playing with them, like last night. I couldn't control both my breathing and my voice. I wasn't embarrassed anymore – I let out my voice by moaning softly with the voice I didn't know I had. Zoro finally cleaned it all up and sat up again, looking me straight in the eyes. I, however, wasn't calm – I was panting with now small and much quiet moans then before.

"Mmm, tasty… but, I'm not full yet.", he then came to my face and licked my lips, "I still have much more to eat. I still have… you.", with the last sentence he took my by the thigh and slowly lifted it. He came closer between my legs, poking me nicely with the bulge on his pants.

"You're no fair, you know that?", he raised his eyebrow on my sentence, "You are still wearing your pants, _Roronoa-san_…", I said with the most seductive voice I could think of.

"Help yourself out…", he said, leaning forward and over my shoulder. He came just close enough for me to grab the belt and take his pants off. And so, I did it – kissing him in the neck, I slowly took off his pants and not noticing, I took his boxers off too with my thumbs.

"Hehe, good girl…", Zoro said and pinned me back down on the pillows, still holding my thigh up. I now saw it more clearly – Zoro's big, wide and thick cock. It was like… the finest and most precious masterpiece I've ever seen. I was happy just by staring at it. But, I didn't want just to stare! I wanted in me. I wanted Zoro to enter me, once again, with all he had, with that masterpiece of his dick!

I didn't realize it, but the boxers I was wearing were now off, as Zoro stripped them fast.

"Oi, oi… you amaze me every time, hun…", he picked up the boxers I was wearing and showed them to me. They were… "You managed to soak my boxers with your juices. You were amazingly wet, dear.", he then came and kissed me. Zoro was acting like he was… proud that I did that, while wearing his underwear. I felt that proud a little myself, I can't lie. "I'm gonna keep them like this. I won't wash them."

"You dirty bastard! How is that hygienic? Wash them!", I got pissed off and disgusted in the same time. But, somehow, his idea turned me on.

"Oh, yeah? I will wash them… if you promise you'll wet them again…", he grinned widely, making me blush red. I gulped and looked to the side, taking a pause before I said "_Okay_" with a quiet voice. He responded just with a grin and positioned himself once again, giving me the sign he's ready.

Still holding up my right thigh and supporting himself with his other hand, he slowly pressed the tip of his penis onto my entrance. I held him by his arms, took a gulp and nodded, like I was giving him a permission to enter. Without any lubricant and just a spit, Zoro made his member somehow wet but my juices also helped him while entering. That first touch, first slip and first push is always somehow painful but full of magic and passionate electricity that runs through my body. Zoro entered, but just with a half of his length. I sensed that and took him by the shoulders, leaning him closer to me.

"M-more… come in… more…", I said in pauses, encouraging Zoro to fully enter me. I wanted it whole!

Zoro pushed slowly, making it so painful in my lower stomach that I had to bite my lip and shut my eyes. For my wish to be fulfilled, I had to make some sacrifice and endure the pain, just to feel the pleasure later on.

"[y/n]… are you okay?", Zoro asked over my shoulder.

"Y-yes… just… keep it up… s-speed up n-now…", I clenched my teeth as Zoro now fully entered me, stayed like that for few moments and then went back.

Zoro, again, pushed me back on the pillows, let go of my thigh and kissed me on the neck, to relax me and make this pain feel less horrible that it does. He again started moving back in, still going slow but after few thrusts he began to speed up, his wide cock stretching my walls and his tip hitting the "_final spot_". He was now supporting himself with the elbows as he got down to me to kiss me passionately and messy, as he did that too during sex last night. His kisses were messy, he could barely control his tongue, but his thrusts were precise and perfect, making my head fall back as it was in such a mess of ecstasy, pre-orgasms and much more. Sweat started building up on Zoro's whole body. Beans of sweat would roll from his forehead and drop on the sheets and my hands were cleaning his back as I massaged him.

"I… love this… I love you…", he said, making my eyes fill with tears. It all makes me remember how much did I wait for him to say he loves me. How much time, patience and hope I had all these years are not measurable. And now, all it needs are just two seconds for him to say it.

"I love you, too… Zoro… forever…", I hugged him more, coming to his shoulder. Zoro also hugged me, coming closer to me, deepening and speeding up the thrust even more than before. Those powerful thrusts clearly made me go insane because he now hit that "_final spot_" with more force and more accuracy then when we started. I knew that was the orgasm spot he was hitting. It slowly built up the mountain of fireworks which would be lit any second.

"J-Just a bit more… I'll…", he barely said it.

"Zoro… I…", I was now grabbing the sheets, making my nails hurt. The moaning wouldn't stop and even Zoro kept on groaning and letting his voice come to my ear.

"Come for me again.", he said with a steady voice, keeping the steady rhythm.

Those words would light a fire in me and this time wasn't an exception. He lit the fire, came closer to the fireworks, lit the fuse and set it off! I came, with a strong and free scream, grabbing Zoro's biceps and arching my back to the orgasm. Zoro held my hands and mix our fingers. He continued his work but after a few more thrusts he pulled out and again hit me with his warm juice. I was left on the bed, panting heavily, covered with sweat and Zoro's white product as he stood up to get something to clean me. Some thrills would still pass me.

I closed my eyes and my legs, I felt tired like I was pulling a car. But, other than exhaustion, I felt love, happiness and warmth. I slightly opened my eyes just in time Zoro came back. I greeted him with a smile, still not moving. Zoro being there meant a world to me - I was more than happy to have him by my side, and I don't mean just sex, which was perfect though, I mean him as a friend, man and lover. I felt peace…

Zoro wiped his mess off of me with tissues, trailed his finger on my stomach, over my arm and to my face, to my lips where I kissed it.

"You were brilliant… I really love you…", he said with a gentle smile, making me smile back to him.

"Stay with me…", I took his arm and slightly pulled it to me. Zoro was also still naked so he took a thin blanket from the drawer of the bed and, still holding my hand, came to bed with me. I rolled and came on top of Zoro, placing my head on his chest. He hugged me and kissed me on the top of my head.

"Heh, are you full now?", I ask out of a joke. Zoro snorted a little, hugged me tightly and took a pause.

"It was the best meal of my life! I can get used to this every day. What do you say?", he asked.

"Hmm… I don't know… Only if you let me cook for you.", I slightly giggled and came closer to his shoulder.

"Haha, I have no problems with that. If your cooking ends like this, my life would be complete.", with this the silence emerged. No one spoke I word, we just laid in bed, in a hug, naked bodies close to each other, covered with a piece of fabric.

"I love you, Zoro.", I said out of the blue.

"I love you too, [y/n].", he didn't falter in his voice. The words were strong and sure, they had feelings and I felt them. Zoro wasn't lying. I snuggled closer to him, closed my eyes and before I knew it, I fell asleep in a tight hug of my lover.

…

When I woke up it was because of Zoro's, now constant and annoying, snoring. At the time I woke up, it was already night, but luckily Zoro had a lamp on his nightstand which I turned on carefully, not to wake up the snoring man. A bright light from the lamp hurt my eyes a little but I was okay after few seconds. I slowly and carefully moved Zoro's arm that was around me and sat up, looking at his sleeping peacefully now.

'_He can even look like this… adorable..._', I giggled to myself, looking at Zoro's cute sleeping face. On the digital clock it was already 8PM so I got out from the bed, put on that big t-shirt I was wearing today and went to the shower. The water really relaxed my muscles and cleaned me as I was all sticky from parfait, sweat and Zoro's cumshot on my stomach. After the relaxing shower it was time to clean the whole place. The kitchen was a real challenge – all the dirty dishes, dirty oven, leftovers, etc. I was too busy cleaning that I didn't hear Zoro get up and come to me.

"It's so late and you work… let's go back to bed…", he said still half asleep, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Nope, I have to clean up this mess and then go back to my apartment.", and then I remembered, "Oh, shit! I forgot to do that work for Robin! Shit! Damn it!", I quickly washed off the last plate and escaped Zoro's hug.

"Just tell her you'll do tomorrow. You took this break to rest, not to work. Now, rest.", Zoro was talking while I was rushing to get my stuff and go back to work.

"I can't break the promise. I just need to do this. I'll bring back your shirt later.", I came to him, kissed his fast and rushed to the door.

"You are really going to do that?", half naked Zoro in boxers leaned to the wall while I was unlocking his door.

"Yes, I am. I'll phone her that the paper is going to be late but I'll finish it.", I said when the key unlocked and the doorknob clicked.

"You do realize that is already past 8PM? She most likely came back home by now so just phone her that you will mail her tomorrow when she comes to the company."

"Can you help me with it? If we do it together, we'll finish it in less than an hour.", I turned to him but Zoro just stayed leaned to the wall with his arms crossed.

"No. You need to rest, that's why you took this break. I'll give her tomorrow the piece of my mind. She can't give you random work like that."

"Listen, she helped me a lot of times lately and this is the only small thing I can do for her. Even though I'm on a break, I gave her a promise I'll do it today and send it to her. Robin said it's not a big work so I'll do it. And Zoro, I thought you were going to help me in this but you are being so heartless."

"Heartless? I care about you! I think about your safety and health! Don't give me '_heartless'_ because you're the one who's behaving like that!", he literally yelled at me, marching towards the door. I stepped out and in the hallway,

"If we finished it quickly we would have more time to be together. I am not the one who's heartless as I was thinking about both of us!", I yelled back.

"Know what? You do what you want. I can care less in this moment. I was trying to help by caring for you but you just rejected, you just slap it right back in my face!", with that he slapped the door in my face.

I huffed and marched to my apartment, finding the keys through my bag. When the door unlocked, I slammed it back and threw the stuff I had in my hands on to the sofa.

"Jerk!", I shouted and kicked the sofa's side. I looked at the t-shirt that I was wearing and started to pull it off of me. I was now fully naked in the center of my living room. I paused and just stared out from the living room window.

'_Only because I wanted to keep my promise… Yet he…_', I thought and let out a sad sigh. I noticed something blinking behind me and it was a phone secretary – I had messages. I pressed "_play_" and waited, still standing naked in a lonely room. When the secretary ended and the "_beep_" came up, I heard Robin's voice…

"_Hello? [y/n]? I don't know if you're working and you don't hear the phone or you went out but…",_ the forcefully opened door and hard footsteps covered the sound of her voice.

"Hey, you dropped your p—", I turned my head to see Zoro, standing beside the sofa, holding my panties. Because of his rushing entrance I had to go and rewind the message from Robin. I clicked "_rewind_" and then "_play_" again. Zoro just stood silent.

"_Hello? [y/n]? I don't know if you're working and you don't hear the phone or you went out but I call you to let you know that there's no need for you to do that paper I sent you. Vivi finished it today for me. But still, I want to thank you for offering your help even though you are on a break from work, it was really generous from you. Well, thanks again and goodbye.",_ the message ended with another "beep" and the secretary noticing that there are no more messages. The silence came up. No one dared to speak up first and I couldn't look at Zoro.

'_I was wrong. I was so terribly wrong! He only thought what's best for me and I wanted just to work but still… I gave a promise… I don't know anymore…',_ I shut my eyes and clenched my fists. I was seriously embarrassed.

"Zoro, I—"

"I'm sorry!", his voice made me turn to him. He threw away the panties he was holding and came to me, hugging me tightly, "I said I don't want to hurt you, yet I yelled at you just 5 minutes ago… also… I should've helped you, to keep your promise and finish the paper so we can be together again…"

"No, Zoro… I was wrong. You were thinking about me and my health and yet… I am such a workaholic…", Zoro loosen the hug to look at me.

"So, we were both wrong and right in some ways. But still… I'm sorry.", he said softly.

"I'm sorry too."

"Everything's okay now, right? You don't have to do it… so it's just us.", he smiled gently and I nodded, smiling back. Zoro kissed me but broke the kiss soon as he noticed again I was naked. He handed me the t-shirt from the ground but I didn't want to put it on and just guided him straight to my bedroom.

"Let's use this time, just for us.", I just said, walking slowly in front of Zoro and to my bed. He gulped, rushed out, probably to his apartment, then locked the front door and ran back to me, bumping on the bed and on top of me. We both laughed at that and continued our night with new round of sex, passion and love.

…

My famous and loud alarm clock went on, just in time for me to wake up for work. It woke me up but I wasn't the one who slammed it this time – Zoro hit the off button, kissed me sweetly on the forehead and slowly slipped out of the bed, watching not to make some loud moves. I groaned and slightly opened my eyes to see Zoro putting on his pants. He took the rest of the clothes and came to my side of the bed, caressing my hair as he noticed I was slightly awake.

"I'm going to work now. I'll see you in about 7-8 hours so for now, just get some rest and sleep well. I love you.", he whispered and kissed me again. I only responded with a quiet "_I love you too_" before I drifted off to sleep once again.

…

Zoro again came home around 3PM but didn't come to check on me. I was working around the apartment the whole day and did some papers. I also went shopping for groceries and made lunch. I gave Zoro a call and we ate lunch together at my place. We mainly talked about the work and the company but each time when go too far and really get into the job conversation, Zoro would stop me and change the subject.

"You seriously need to relax. You're thinking too much about your job, it's annoying.", he said picking up his plate as we just finished the lunch.

"Sorry, I guess the company is still stuck in my head.", I said picking up the rest that was on the table. I still held meals in my living room, on the small table. I did the dishes while Zoro searched more around the fridge. He picked up two bottles of beer but I rejected drinking.

"What's up? Are you feeling all right? You usually don't mind drinking with me...", he said, leaning onto the kitchen worktable.

"Listen, Zoro… I was thinking something... Would you like to… go on a date today?", he stopped drinking and looked at me, a bottle still in his mouth.

"What's that all of the sudden?", he asked but I just looked at him, "Ah, all right, we can go. Do you want now or later at night?", he really made me happy.

"Now! I would like to go out with you right now!", I thought I looked like a happy little puppy. I was really excited I had a chance to go out on a date with Zoro.

"Okay, I'll go change into something else and take my car keys. It's a nice day today, pretty warm for the end of summer. Well, see ya later.", he waved and went to his apartment. After he closed the door I squealed in my room like a little girl, looking through the closet for the perfect outfit. I picked a nice combination of Capri pants, top and sandals with not so high heels. I couldn't wear a skirt because of the bruise on my thigh. Zoro came in just when I was applying my makeup.

"Hey, are you ready?!", he shouted from the living room.

"Just a little bit!", I responded from the bathroom. Just like these past few mornings, I treated the wound on my lip that was nicely healing and in the end covered it up with some makeup. I took my purse and came back to Zoro ready to go on a date. He was dressed in casual clothes wearing a t-shirt, pants and some nice shoes that almost looked like sneakers. As always, he put that hard manly cologne which drove me crazy and made me want to strip his clothes off.

We went to the park for a walk and ice-cream, drive all over the town and then ended in a nice and calm restaurant. Once we ordered food, Zoro again showed his lovely side. He fed me and wiped my cheeks from time to time. He would smile and really enjoy time with me.

"Date was a wonderful idea, just so you don't talk about work anymore.", he said slicing the steak.

"Hehe, sorry. But, yeah, this is a really nice change. This date relaxes me.", I said and took a bite of the bread, "What's more important… I'm with you.", I said and smiled to Zoro, making his cheeks turn a slight red.

For the rest of the meal, we chatted and laughed. After the steak, I couldn't eat anything else so we paid for the food and decided to take another stroll on the streets and in the park. Holding hands with Zoro in public was just so new to me but so lovable and nice in the same time. It gave me proof he loves me and he's with me and no matter if someone sees us, he will continue to hold my hand.

We were walking and chatting along, bought popcorn and ice-cream again and it all seemed like we were a high school couple. We ended in the park again and sat on the bench, still holding hands. I came closer and put my head on Zoro's shoulder.

"This was the best thing. This time we spent together was priceless and most precious. I really love you, Zoro.", I said, feeling the love, enjoying the moment.

"I agree and I also feel the same for you. I love you so much, [y/n].", he picked and brought my head to meet him in a kiss. The kiss was cut by small thunder. The sky really started to go darker and darker.

"We better hurry back before the rain gets us.", Zoro said, stood up and I followed, holding his hand tightly.

"You parked the car 3 streets away. I hope we'll make it in time.", and with that last sentence a rain drop fell on my nose. We went from the park with a bit faster walk and the rain started to fall more and more. We were now running in the heavy rain. Zoro was running first so it looked like he was pulling me but I couldn't speed up as my sandals were all wet and slippery.

We passed the first street running fast and finally found the shelter from the rain under an awning of some store. We were both panting heavily, wet like a couple of stray cats. After some rest we had to continue running to the car but the rain wouldn't stop, it was still raining hard and I was starting to feel cold. I couldn't afford to show that to Zoro so I continued running behind him, holding his hand tight. My sandals became slippery again and as hard as I tried to step carefully I couldn't help it as I slipped on my next step and twisted my ankle. I had to stop I couldn't bare the pain that was taking over my right foot.

"Hey, what's the matter?", Zoro shouted and came to me. I just kneeled and held my wounded ankle. We were just a street away from the parked car. Suddenly, Zoro picked me up, bridal style and started running.

"W-Will you be okay?", I knew I was blushing deep red. Zoro didn't answer anything and just ran as fast as he could while the rain still hit us. When we reached the car and got in Zoro couldn't breathe properly. That really made me worried but he asked before I did.

"Are you okay? Did you twist your ankle? We're gonna go home and put some ice on it. Just hang in there!", he started the mad car and drove back home as madly.

"Zoro, you don't have to worry. It's maybe just a sprain, nothing major. Oka—"

"No!", he yelled and made me flinch in my seat. He noticed that, "I'm sorry. It's just… You get hurt when you're with me. I don't want that. I said I'm going to protect you and I will. I don't want to see you hurt or in pain. It's because I love you…", that was the last thing he said until we got home.

The whole car and elevator drive was silent. Zoro would carry me out and in my apartment. He placed me on my bed and stayed silent for some time. He took a gulp and looked at me with a serious face on.

"[y/n]… this is hard and painful… but, like I said, I don't want to hurt you. It's... it's better if we continue our lives separately…."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	11. Chapter 11

_I know, I know, I'm late with this chapter! I'm so sorry! RL is a b!tch... But, let's move onto the chapter, k?_

_**Summary from the last chapte**r: It was awesome being with Zoro. He liked you cooking, he enjoyed your company and you were happy to greet him when he comes home after work. One little promise you made to Robin to help her with some work turned you and Zoro into a fight. But that all passed and you just couldn't be mad at each other. You two went on a beautiful and enjoyable date that really relaxed and made you closer in the relationship. It suddenly started to rain and as you two were running to the car, you slipped in your sandals and twisted your ankle. Zoro blamed himself for every injury you got and wanted to end your relationship and prevent you from getting hurt even more._

* * *

Zoro just kneeled in front of me without a word. After some time of holding my wounded ankle, he let go of it and continued to stare at the floor. He didn't move a bit and nor did I. I sat on my bed, soaking wet, speechless. I didn't know what to say as my head was in total mess. I still couldn't believe my ears. I didn't know what to say because I wanted so many things… I wanted to cry, to run away, to beg, I wanted… so much. Instead of all that, I just held the sheets, clenched my fists, wrinkling the fabric. I closed my eyes for few moments but looked at Zoro's bowed head again. It was a sad view before me. I could feel the sadness leaping out of him and hitting me straight in the heart. I couldn't hold back anymore – I let go of the sheets and kneeled before Zoro, hugging him gently, like I was hugging a sad and lonely child.

"Don't step on your words now. You said you will always be there to protect me. You said you'll always be there for me… and right now, I need you the most.", my eyes filled with tear immediately, I couldn't stop my emotions. I was crying, "I don't want you to leave me. If you go, I wouldn't know how to live through that pain. It'll kill me for sure. The thought about you leaving me alone hurts more than any wound I've experienced so far...", tears wouldn't stop, "You're blaming yourself for no reason. You are not responsible that I got hurt. It was me who picked those stupid sandals. It was me who walked in the dark streets... It was all me!", I couldn't help it… I cried so much, "You haven't hurt me. You are the one who made me feel better. You are the one who saved me…", I took a break, "So that's why… I ask you… Zoro, please… don't go… I need you… please... stay with me…", I was now talking in the pauses of the sobs. I held him tight. I tried to control my crying but I couldn't… it was too hard for me.

Zoro's arms were still down. He didn't respond to the hug, even though I was holding him tightly by the shirt. I couldn't dare myself to move. I just cried, keeping my voice silent, and hugged him, praying he'll do something. Finally, I felt the movement – Zoro's arms were lifting up slowly until they wrapped around my back. He put his head on my shoulder and still didn't say a thing. We were kneeling in silence while the rain outside poured hard on the town. With one of his hands Zoro held me by the back of my neck, pushing me more to him, tightening the hug even more.

"I am sorry.", he said silently few moments after his last move, "Those were the words that should never leave my mouth and yet I… I said them so freely. I am a complete idiot. I'm sorry, [y/n].", my fingers that were holding Zoro's shirt loosened and my hands went up – hugging him on the back of his neck and through his wet green hair.

I didn't care about the ankle anymore. It hurt like Hell, but all I wanted is Zoro to stay with me and make it feel better. I didn't care about our wet clothes, too. The water was dripping off our clothes and on the floor, off our hair and on our faces. But nothing mattered – we were together.

"Don't apologize, _baka_. Those were the feelings that took over you and I don't blame you. I don't blame you for anything. All I want is for you to stay by my side because… I know I can get stronger with you. It's because I love you so much.", I nearly whispered the last part. A couple of tears slid down my cheeks but they were covered by the smile that was forming. I couldn't be happier than now.

"I'm still an idiot for being taken by such emotions. I want to stay. I want to be happy. I want you to be with me, because… I also feel stronger with you by my side. It's because I love you I feel strong and confident.", he pushed me from the hug and looked at me. Zoro formed a gentle smile that surprised me, "I want us to be happy. I want our love to last. I want to be by your side.", his words pushed another tear from my eye. Zoro just continued smiling, wiping that tear off my face with his thumb. He placed his hand on my cheek and slowly pulled me closer to him and into a kiss.

A kiss with Zoro never felt sweeter. It was a kiss filled with happiness and love. It was a gentle kiss with strong emotions. It was a normal kiss that was important. It was my and Zoro's kiss.

Night fell but the rain didn't stop. The sound of pouring rain was the one which filled the room, but for my ears I only heard Zoro's steady breathing. We were lying in my bed, naked, covered with warm and soft blanket. I was lying on his chest, absorbing the peace that was leaving his body, enjoying in the nice rhythm of his breathing. I was truly happy having him there. Sex was magnificent but, in that moment, it didn't matter – I was happy just being by Zoro's side.

…

My next day went just as natural as the others – I would cook, do some papers, go shopping and relax in my free time. Zoro would come back home after his shift but we wouldn't see each other right after because he continues with his work, even at home. We had lunch together and go back to typing right after the meal. That typing and constant staring in the computer monitor would ruin our eyes if it wasn't for the special safety glasses. And I must admit, Zoro looked surprisingly sexy and attractive with glasses on. I would shift my gaze to him, just to catch that nice looking man with glasses on, looking all serious and concentrated on his work. I could feel my face turning red but I would quickly turn my head back and continue working. We were working at my place with ordered pizza and usual beer bottles. It was already night when Zoro stopped typing. He stretched and leaned back on the black sofa.

"What do you say that we have a little break from this, huh?", he asked but I continued my typing without looking at him.

"Hm? What do you mean? I have to do this paper…", I said, focusing on the letters and numbers in front of me and not much on Zoro.

"It's already 7PM, let's go out.", he said and I heard him move closer to me, "Let's go out, [y/n]…", he whispered on my neck, which made me shiver. His seductive voice would always drive me crazy and change my every opinion from 'no' to 'yes', in just few seconds. I immediately stopped typing and turned to him. Zoro had calm yet sweet expression on his face and didn't move a step which made our faces incredibly close. He took off my glasses, coming even closer to me.

"Let's go out.", he said it again. Zoro still had his glasses on but I took them off and pushed Zoro back on the sofa with a kiss. I sat in his lap, facing him directly and Zoro, as a dirty minded he often was, grabbed my butt fully, enjoying the touch.

"Where are we going?", I finally asked, parting from the kiss.

"This is going to surprise you but… I called our old gym and set couple of training hours for this night.", he said, making me back off from him.

"Are you serious? I haven't trained for… weeks!", I was panicking.

"I didn't train for days too and I feel kinda off. Come on, we will have fun and just forget about work."

"Well, this is unusual for you to say. Are you alright?"

"Of course I am! What are you saying? Now, let's go."

"Okay, okay, fine. We'll go to the gym. But I must assure you, I became rusty. I can barely remember how to work out.", I stood up from him and went to my bedroom to get ready and Zoro followed.

"Don't worry, beautiful, I'll make sure you learn everything again.", he wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me in the neck. Those kisses made me melt but I had to break free and start preparing myself for the gym.

"I know that, silly. Now, let's get ready for it and go.", I said wiggling out of Zoro's grip and taking my training bag. He also went to get ready and after 10 – 15 minutes we were ready to leave.

The weather outside was kinda chilly as autumn was about to start, just in few days, so we drove ourselves to the gym, about two streets away from our building.

…

On the entrance of the gym building, a familiar face greeted us. It was none less than Kei, a trainer that first assigned me to the gym and helped me with my training. He was a really nice trainer, he gave me awesome advices about food and eating schedule, he helped me with training machines and training overall. He still is a nice trainer but as a person, Kei is just that type who gives out bad vibes. I don't trust him a bit. That's why my face got a sour expression on a sight of him. Kei noticed Zoro and me immediately.

"Waaah! Who is this that I see? My two favorite clients!", if he was a girl, Kei would hop to us. His walk said that he was happy to see us… or so it seemed, "Hey there Zoro!", Kei greeted Zoro fist-to-fist but changed the look in his eyes when he was about to greet me, "_Ohisashiburi, hime_.", he said, coming closer to my face.

Kei would often flatter me like that. Most of the girls would fall for those words, adding to it his looks and muscular body. He was always extremely popular among female clients and he would mostly assist them more than guys.

I made a little frown and took a step back, coming closer to Zoro. Kei noticed that and backed off, forming a frown to the view. Not to make a scene, he quickly smiled to us.

"I heard you paid for the week in the gym, Zoro. Why didn't you assigned for a monthly membership?", Kei asked, looking through some papers.

"I'm too busy with work so I paid just for a week. Also, this is a unique opportunity to spend some time with [y/n] out. We both need to relax a little.", Zoro smirked, proud in his words. Kei, however, frowned even more looking at Zoro's hand closely holding mine.

"Ooh, congrats on that… Anyways, you know the stuff – take the keys for your lockers, change clothes and then we'll meet in the gym. See ya around.", he waved and went to the main room of the gym. Zoro let go of my hand and went to the locker room by himself, leaving me at the gym's front desk. I needed to know what was happening, Zoro was definitely behaving odd.

Our lockers were next to each other so I had a perfect chance to ask him. I kept it cool until Zoro started to throw his stuff in the locker. I took a sigh before asking.

"Okay, what's the matter? Why are you like that?", I asked taking off my sweater and putting on the training t-shirt. Zoro calmed down a bit but still had a pissed off look on his face.

"Why, you ask? What is with you?! Why are you so calm after he-?!"

"Are you stupid?", I slammed the locker and looked at him, "Kei isn't going to do anything as long as you are with me! So, don't act like a little kid and smash stuff around!", I yelled but came to him and put my hands on the back of his neck, "I will be okay… just trust me.", I put on a small smile, making Zoro relax his shoulders and calming down a little. He shut the door of his locker and formed a sexy grin.

"I'll stop now… Of course I trust you but… the real fun will start when we get home after this little workout. So, let's get this over with.", he whispered close to my face, making me blush hard. I backed off of Zoro's grip and looked to the side. When I looked at him he still had that seductive sexy grin on.

"Stop it, pervert!", I said hitting him on the shoulder. I took my towel and went to the exit. Zoro followed soon after.

We met Kei just when I opened the door of the room. It seemed like he was about to grab the doorknob. Kei just smiled at us and went in. His timing was just suspicious and that gave me a bad feeling about Kei. It was a feeling I never felt in the past, it was strong and dangerous.

"Let's go.", said Zoro, making me snap from my thoughts.

…

The workout went well – I remembered all the basic practice and Zoro helped me a lot in that. Kei would assist from time to time, keeping his soft smile on. When we were on the machines, working out, I felt at ease and trusted Kei. He was fun and caring, just a nice trainer who is willing to help his clients.

I was just done with the treadmill and had to take a break while Zoro still perfectly worked out on Pec Deck machine. Seeing Zoro on that specific machine would always take my breath away, it would always drive me insane. I couldn't take my eyes off of him so I just smiled and Zoro smiled back at me. Just when I was about to reach for my towel, I hit the open water bottle with my hand and it fell, water spilling all over my towel. Looking constantly at Zoro would bring me joy inside, but I was now left with a wet towel.

"I have a spare one in my bag. I'll go wring this out and take a clean one. Be right back!", I smiled and waved at Zoro who didn't stop his workout.

Not going to the bathroom first, to squeeze the soaking towel, I went straight to the locker room as I needed to wipe the sweat off of me. It was giving me a really disgusting feeling.

"Heh, you need to learn two things, [y/n] – 1. Don't leave the open bottles around, and 2. Don't stare at Zoro all the time.", I talked to myself, giggling and searching for the clean and dry spare towel in my locker, "Heh, that second one might be hard, he's too darn sexy."

"Oh, is he really?", I heard a familiar voice from my left, coming behind the opened door of my locker. In panic, I shut the locker door and saw Kei, leaning on his forearm, against the other lockers. He was looking at me with a smile on his face.

"Kei, what are you-?"

"I just came to check on my favorite client.", his smile widen and with it became more dangerous. The look in his eyes became like that, too. He made a fast move, shut my mouth with his one hand and grabbed both of my wrists and placed them over my head, with his other hand. He moved his leg and presses it across both of my thighs, making me completely unable to kick him or even move.

"Now… it's completely pointless for you to scream, no one will hear you form the music and gym is too far away from here. Also, you can't move, I'm stronger than you.", he whispered with cold voice, still keeping that dangerous smile on.

I was again frightened, like that night in the alley. I just didn't know what to do. I was desperate. But… I couldn't give up! I assured Zoro that I'll be fine, he trust me on that. So, I can't just toss that trust, I have to do something on my own!

I struggled no matter of the difference in strength. Kei would pin me against the lockers every time but I couldn't give up. I can't rely on Zoro to save me all the time. I had to do something on my own.

"Oi, oi… be a good girl and stop struggling, you will only get tired and I don't want to see you like that. I like it when you're all nice and fresh so calm down.", he pissed me off even more after he said that.

I once again tried to escape but Kei would again hit me hard against the lockers. The last thing I was left to do is rely on my voice – I screamed inside Kei's hand. My mouth was shut and with every scream Kei would add more strength and push me to keep me quiet.

"It's futile, princess… It's just you and me here and since we're alone here, I have to confess to you. I know it's a really strange situations and settings but… better late than never, or so they say.", he looked me straight in the eyes, "[y/n], you are a first girl who refused me. You rejected me and kept your distance. You first build a wall and now a castle and so you stayed in the highest tower, like a princess. But, don't worry, I will save you and make you mine. Your distance made me want you more. Your attitude makes you different, makes you special and makes me go insane for you. One way or another, you will be mine.", he licked his lower lip, sending me child down my spine.

Kei's words had no sense – in one moment he talked about the princess in a tower and in other he went crazy. That was a strangest and most creepy confession I've ever got. It was creeping out the bones out of me and pissing me off, in the same time. So, once again, for the last time, I put some extra strength and went forward, to somehow escape Kei's block. But again, it was a useless try

"Oh, yes, one more thing… no Zoro is ever going to stop me. I will make you mine.", he again licked his lips but now he came closer to me and went to my neck. Kei slowly licked it, making me shiver in disgust and annoyance. He shifted his legs and placed one between my legs, slowly lifting it up. I found an opening!

I used the opportunity and made a move – I kicked Kei on his left thigh with my right leg, making him loose his tight grip around my wrists. I finally got my hands out and my arms were free. I made my next attack with my free hands – I created a "two-hand fist" by crossing fingers hand-to-hand and hit Kei on the shoulder making his fall on his knees.

"You dirty sick bastard…", I said under my breath, looking down at kneeling Kei. I didn't want to spend any more time with him. I just wanted to get him out of my sight but as soon as I went to the exit, Kei grabbed me by the ankle and pulled me, making me fall on the floor. Trying to break free, I started kicking Kei's hand with my other foot but he didn't let go.

"What do you think you're doing, bastard?!", Zoro's voice came from behind and I immediately turned my head to it. He was standing at the door entrance, pissed off, clenching his fists. He rushed to Kei, shook his hand off my ankle and brought him up, just to crash him on the lockers, "What have you done to her?! Tell me, you asshole!", Zoro was yelling, clenching Kei's shirt more. He was on the edge, I could just feel the tension coming from Zoro.

"Heh, I'm not going to lie or tell you any fairy tales…", said Kei and paused, looking down. He brought back his glare on Zoro, this time with more fire in his eyes, "[y/n] will be mine! No matter what you do or say, she will be with me!", Kei yelled, looking Zoro straight in the eyes.

For Zoro, that was the last drop – still holding Kei by the shirt, he moved from the lockers and punched the wild and crazy trainer with all his strength. Punch was so hard there were trays of blood on Zoro's fist. This was the side of Zoro I never saw. When he was fighting Sanji in my apartment, he didn't punch to spill blood, he didn't bother but now… Zoro changed into a wild tiger full of rage, ready to devour its pray. He was boiling with wrath almost like he's ready to kill.

Kei was lying on the floor, blood coming from his nose and his mouth. He spat some blood and barely sat up. Zoro wasn't finished with just one punch, he was ready for more, he was ready to kill Kei right on the spot. Zoro marched, kneeled to Kei and took him by the shirt once again. He was preparing his fists, clenching them hard, ready to attack once more.

"You'll now see what happens to those who cross me and, more importantly, to those who harm [y/n].", his words were exploding from power of violence. That was the moment that brought me up on my feet – I had to stop Zoro before he does something really bad.

"Zoro, no!", I took his arm and held it from hitting Kei.

"Let go, [y/n]! I'll kill the bastard!", he hissed, struggling. I couldn't let him go.

"Stop it, Zoro!", I yelled and looked at Kei, his face covered in blood and wounds, "I won't let your hands get any more dirty.", the pause came up.

I still looked at no wide-eyed and shocked Kei. He looked horrible. No one moved so I could hear mumbling and whispers behind us. People were gossiping about the scene that just happened, the three of us were the center of attention.

"You're too soft, [y/n]…", said Zoro and relaxed his arm that I was holding. He threw Kei back on the floor and stood up. Zoro looked at Kei for few moments and then turned to me, "Let's get out of here. I'm sick of this place and everything around here.", he said and forcefully opened his locker to pick up his clothes. I also took mine and without changing we went to the door. Zoro suddenly stopped in front of me, "You can keep the rest of the shitty money I paid for the week, I don't care, 'cause you'll never see me or her here again. Be happy I spared your puny life, you bastard!", he yelled over his shoulder, looked at Kei for few more moments and then continue to walk to the exit of the locker room.

The "_audience_" that was crowded at the door quickly made room for the two of us to pass. I can't say I was relaxed… I was really uncomfortable the whole time because of all the stares at us. Zoro took my hand and streamed out of the gym building. He just walked fast, pulling me along and didn't say a word. I was quiet too. We didn't spoke up until we reached the parking lot where Zoro parked his car. He stopped by the car and still holding my hand, he didn't dare to say a word. Zoro put his training bag on the hood of the car and turned to me. He wasn't angry anymore. His face was much calmer, almost like sad.

The lights that were on the parking showed me that sad face. The night and silence around us were making the scene I was seeing even sadder. Zoro was holding my hands, looking down, not saying a word. He gripped my hands a bit harder and finally looked me in the eyes. I could see a sad and worry emotions in his dark mysterious eyes.

"Are you… okay?", he asked with recognizable worry in his voice. I was controlling my own sad emotions so I just nodded as an answer. After that, Zoro pulled me into a tight hug, "I don't know what I would do without you… If you weren't there to stop me, I would've killed him for sure. If you were to get wounded, I would kill him even more. If you were to go with that guy, I wouldn't know how I would I live with that… I love you too much to lose you. I can't lose you."

"Baka, I should be the one afraid of the loss. If you killed Kei, you could've got arrested and I would lose you. I would never, ever leave you for a bastard like that. I love you. I love you so much to let you go. So, don't worry too much, I would always be there for you, Zoro.", I said, controlling my tears.

"Thank you.", he whispered softly to my ear, tightening the hug.

In that moment, we were both afraid to lose each other. We couldn't afford to lose the other one, it would be impossible to live without the one who you love and treasure the most in the world. After some time, Zoro pushed me away from the hug but just to bring me into a soft and passionate kiss, filled with love and care.

…

Days passed by just too quickly. Zoro would come back from work every day around 3PM and we would have a nice lunch together, work a bit and in the evening go out or just spend some quiet and romantic time together. I was more than happy to be with him. Zoro was revealing his romantic side to me, making my world shine. He meant everything to me! I just couldn't imagine my life without him.

From all those dates and happy times we didn't realize that it was weekend already and that we had even more time for us. It was an early Saturday morning that I woke up feeling nauseous. I spent the night at Zoro's apartment so I quietly exited the room but then quickly rushed to the bathroom. I felt the pain in my lower stomach and I threw up last night's Italian food.

'_I guess Italian doesn't go well with me…'_, I thought after spending few minutes above the toilet. I flushed and stood up, looking myself in the mirror – I was sweating and I had bags under my eyes. I was still feeling ill but the nausea was slowly passing.

"[y/n], what was that just now?! What's wrong?!", Zoro shouted, coming in the bathroom and massaging my back. He must've heard me leave the room.

"My stomach hurts… It must be last night's lasagna and spaghetti that we had. I just threw them up.", I said still feeling weak.

"Or… could it be you're…", I know what was he applying to and that made me giggle.

"Haha, don't be silly, that can't be it. We were careful all this time.", I said.

"It doesn't matter we still have to visit the doctor. I'll phone the company and tell them I will be taking a day off today.", he said.

"Zoro, I will be fine. I'm feeling great already. I'll just take some medicine I got at my apartment; make me a tea and just rest. It's nothing to worry about, I've experienced food poisoning before and I know what to do. You just go to work and don't worry I bit.", I tapped him on the shoulder and kissed him on the cheek.

"Are you crazy, I can't go to work when you're—"

"Zoro, I said, I'll be fine. Trust me.", I smiled and he relaxed.

"Okay, I'll go to work. But, if anything goes wrong, give me a call immediately and I'll come to you. Promise me that!", he put on a serious tone and a serious face along with it.

"Alright, I promise I'll call you. Now, go and get ready or you'll be late.", I pushed him out of the bathroom. I looked at my sick face in the mirror. It wasn't looking good.

'I hope I'm right and this goes by soon…', I thought washing my face.

…

I spent the whole Saturday in Zoro's living room, "wrapped" in the blanket, drinking tea, eating the toast and going over the TV channels. My stomach still hurt but I would just put it away with sleeping. I went to throw up few more times and that would exhaust me so I would go to sleep again. When Zoro got back and in the night I wasn't feeling ill anymore. I was lively and natural.

Next day was just natural and everything was going well. I wasn't sick anymore but stomach would still hurt me. I also got a call from Sanji that he would come over to bring me all the news about the works that are going around the department aka to keep me up to date before I start working again. Nami also called to remind me that I'm starting tomorrow. And just when we ended the call, sickness came again. I quickly took the meds to prevent myself from puking more. I really hate that.

I was buzzing all over my apartment, cleaning to make it nice and tidy before Sanji arrives. All that cleaning around and music that was playing on TV made me forget about the time. I was busy around the lunch as the doorbell rang.

'_Oh snap, it must be Sanji_.', I thought taking off the apron and putting the pot with boiling stew aside. I ran to open the door.

"Hello, [y/n]-san; long time no see!", smiled Sanji, holding a nice lily bouquet.

"Hi! Yeah, it sure has been a while since we saw each other. Come on in.", I fully opened the door allowing Sanji to enter. He gave me the flowers saying that those are from all the colleagues in the department. That made me smile.

"Thank you for this. So, before we go to business, would you like to join me for lunch? I just finished a nice and delicious stew."

"If it's [y/n]-san, I'll stay. But, we must hurry, we have a lot to review and I have to go help Gramps."

"Oh, sure, let's eat and then we'll finish everything else."

…

I haven't eaten much of the food because my stomach wouldn't like it at all. Sanji and I started working on the last weeks papers and I needed to control the pain every minute. In the middle of our reviewing I had to run to the bathroom and throw up the food I just ate. Sanji ran right after me.

"[y/n]-san, are you okay? What's wrong?", he panicked while I was bend over the toilet, throwing away half digested stew.

"Ah, don't worry, Sanji… it's just food poisoning. Lately I've been sick and just when I thought I was okay and started eating 'normal' food, my stomach reacted again. It's nothing to worry about; I'll just take some meds and rest. I'll be okay after a couple of hours.", I said after I calmed down a bit.

The reflection on the mirror showed my sick face; it looked like I was just about to die – barely any color, bags under my eyes, dry and swollen lips, face covered in sweat. I noticed that I lost a great amount of weight these last days and that I didn't like. But I also didn't like doctors so with every Zoro's word about hospital and check-ups we would fight and argue and I would always delay to go to the doctor.

"[y/n]-san, let me drive you to the hospital. You look really—"

"No! I'll be fine. It's not the first time this is happening so I know what to do!", I yelled at Sanji, leaving the bathroom, dragging my feet, "Also, it's already time for you to go to the restaurant…"

"I can't leave you in this state! [y/n]-sa—"

"Sanji, I said I'll be fine! Please…", I sat on the sofa, putting my palm over my face. I was feeling worse by the minute.

'_I only have to stay strong and this positive. It will all go away. I'll be fine…_', those were my thoughts that I kept in mind most of the time.

"Here you go, [y/n]-san.", said Sanji and I lifted my head to him. He was holding a piece of paper, "This is my phone number. If you ever need help, just give me a call.", I took a paper and smiled to him. I didn't even feel the smile, I was so weak, "I hate I have to do this, but I really must go to the restaurant now. Please be safe. And remember: call me if you feel any worse.", I nodded to his words and he went to the door but stopped after putting on his shoes, "Oh, that reminds me… I haven't seen _marimo-head_ around at all. Where could he be on the Sunday?"

"Yeah, Zoro went to a business trip with the boss, early this morning. They have a meeting tomorrow and I heard it's super important for the company.", I said slowly coming to Sanji.

"Oh, I see… Well, see you tomorrow, [y/n]-san! Hope you'll feel better.", he said with a smile.

"Don't worry, I'll be just fine. See ya!", I waved after him.

Few minutes after Sanji left I fell on my knees. I couldn't even make it to the sofa. Stomach started to hurt me like no other time before. It was terrible! Something started to build up my throat. I tried to get up and control it but I couldn't – I fell on the floor again and threw up, this time lots of slimy fluid. My stomach was destroying me. I clenched my fists and cried, I was in horrible pain. I was still holding the paper of Sanji's phone number but I couldn't get up to reach the phone and call for help.

'_Zoro… help me…_', I cried more, holding onto my stomach, trying to get rid of the pain, '_Someone… please…_', I couldn't do a thing.

I shut my eyes and cried. I was lying on the floor, covered in sweat, rolled like a cinnamon roll, holding my stomach and praying for help. Suddenly there was a knock on the door and after few moments someone came in. I still didn't dare to open my eyes.

"[y/n]-chan! Wh-what are you doing there?!", I heard a familiar voice and feet thumping on the floor, running towards me, "[y/n]-chan! [y/n]-chan! Are you alright? Can you hear me? Please open your eyes!", I could hear the voice clearly now – it was old lady Ishikawa. She was shaking me, constantly calling my name. I opened my eyes slowly but I could only see a blurred picture of the old lady. I couldn't say a thing; I just cried in pain and started to shake in fever.

"Oh no, I need help. Don't worry, [y/n]-chan, I'll call the ambulance right away.", she then ran out of my apartment and came back after few moments with her husband. I could hear less and less by the minute. I closed my eyes but I could felt Mr. Ishikawa carrying me to the sofa. I was now in the terrible fever.

'_If you ever need help, just give me a call._', the sentence echoed in my mind. I remembered Sanji. The paper with his name and phone number was still in my hand, all wrinkled.

"I-Ishikawa-san… C-call him…", I pass the paper from my hand. I was sure that lady Ishikawa took it and ran to the phone to call Sanji. I was slowly starting to lose my hearing. I passed out.

…

The unusual and loud sound woke me up. It was a sound of the siren. I was again starting to feel things and I felt a bumpy and speedy ride.

"[y/n]-san!", I heard Sanji's voice. I slowly turned my head to my left where the sound was coming from. Sanji was sitting next to me, worry spread all over his face, "[y/n]-san, don't worry, we're going to the hospital. You will be okay now."

Tear slid down my cheek. I needed to see someone else. I was in terrible pain and I needed him now more than ever.

"S-Sanji… Zoro…", I wanted to ask but the pain and sadness wouldn't let me.

"Ah, I tried to call him but his cell phone is out of reach. I'm sorry. But don't worry; I'll continue to call him. He will surely come, I promise.", he said calmly.

"Thanks…"

"Don't mention it. Lady Ishikawa-san told me that she tried to contact your parents but none of them was available. I'll make sure everyone comes to see you, you just rest and take it easy, okay?", he tried to comfort me but I just cried. I missed all the dear people in my life. I needed all of them to be with me. I needed them beside me.

"Sanji… I'm scared…", I cried more but Sanji took my hand and looked me in the eyes.

"[y/n]-san, I know it's not too much but, I will be there to support you. I'll be with you so don't worry. You're not alone.", he said trying to calm me down. I didn't know what pain in greater – the one that is devouring my stomach or the one that was in my heart. The nurse came by with few more helpers – we arrived at the hospital and they were about to carry me out. I was sent to the ER.

"Miss, you need to take an emergency surgery. It's about your appendix.", I got even more scared after the nurse told me that. I widen my eyes and looked at Sanji as they were riding me to the operating room. I couldn't whisper a thing but my tears said everything. Sanji suddenly grabbed my hand again, running along.

"Sanji, I'm scared…", I repeated.

"Don't worry; I'll call Zoro right away. Remember, [y/n]-san, you're not alone. We are all here for you and we all love you. Just hang in there.", he let go of my hand as the doctors pushed the operation room door. I saw Sanji waving at me with a smile on his face. I couldn't help myself but to cry more.

"He is right, miss [y/n].", the nurse spoke to me and I looked at her, "You will be fine with us. He was worrying so much when you were unconscious. You are lucky you have him by your side.", she smiled at me. I felt somehow relieved but the fear was still in me.

The next thing I remember was me on the operating table, light hitting me in the eyes. Doctors quickly gathered, said a couple of encouraging words to me and smiled to me. I turned my head to the nurse beside me as she was preparing to inject something in the tubule coming from my arm. The last thing I saw was that nurse's smiling face. I drifted into a blank dream, hoping I will wake up.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	12. Chapter 12

_Yup, I finally updated! Yaaay~ sry it took so long ^^"_

_**Summary from the last chapter:** Zoro said he wants to stop your relationship after you got injured (twisted your ankle on the date) again. You convinced him to stay, saying that he shouldn't blame himself for all that happened to you. You were back together on that stormy night. Zoro suggested you go to the gym for a training and you accepted the offer. Kei, the trainer, was hitting on you, as usual. When you were alone in the locker room he attacked you but Zoro came again in just the perfect timing and saved you from further harassment. It all ended well, with Zoro beating up Kei, that is. Few days after, you felt sick one night and threw up. Zoro wanted to take you to the doctor but you refused. You kept refusing to go but your stomach wasn't okay. When Sanji came to bring you some papers you again threw up your lunch. You refused again to go to the hospital but just as he left, there was a problem - you couldn't stand it anymore, you threw up bad and was taken by ambulance. Nurse told you you have to take a surgery but you were afraid of that - Zoro wasn't there to support you. You just wanted to wake up from the surgery and see him..._

* * *

Humming happily to the song that was on TV, I cut the last piece of fresh beef meat to create a nice a delicious stew for lunch. After just few times of cooking in it, I already felt more than comfortable in Zoro's kitchen; it was a bigger than mine and I was always impressed by the huge refrigerator. I put the small red meat pieces into the pot and went back to prepare a nice tomato salad.

It wasn't long before the front door opened and he stepped in saying "_Tadaima_". Zoro's voice would always bring the smile on my face and I would feel immediate joy and happiness. I quickly cut a small tomato and dry my hands in my apron. I wanted to rush to him and fall in his arms, to kiss him for "welcome back". Zoro was taking off his jacket when I stepped out of the kitchen.

"_Oka—_"

"_Okaerinasai_!", my sentence was cut by familiar woman's voice, just when I was about to run to Zoro. He looked down the hallway in direction of his bedroom and smiled. I was now eager to find out who the woman is but I couldn't move or say anything. And then, she appeared – long marvelous legs, perfect thin waist, big breasts and long dark hair – a tall woman came to Zoro, smiling and wrapping her arms around his neck. It was no less than my department's head chief – tall and beautiful woman, Nico Robin.

They kept on smiling at each other, looking each other in the eyes like they knew each other's thoughts. Zoro dropped his suitcase to his feet, wrapped his own arms around Robin's waist and came to her ear, whispering something to her and making her giggle. The scenery I saw was a situation of a perfect couple that had no flaws and was full of love.

'_When did they come together? When did they become a couple? What is happening? Why aren't Zoro and I together? Does this mean I'm their maid or something? Why? Why is this happening? What's going on around here?!' _

So many thoughts invaded my head but I didn't have any answers. I was left confused and sad. No one paid attention to me, like I didn't even exist. I wanted to say so many things but I couldn't speak. I wanted separate them but I couldn't move. I was just staring at them, unable to do a thing. The pot on the stove started boiling, harder by the second.

The doorbell rang and Sanji with the company friends came in, carrying huge bouquet of flowers and big bottle of champagne. They all immediately became a happy and laughing bunch of friends. Laughing and wonderful smiles would spread and fill the whole room but for some reason, I couldn't join them. I wanted to cry…

"_Congratulations on your marriage!_", Sanji suddenly shouted which made Zoro and Robin come closer together and smile wider. I was clearly blown away. It seemed like I was drifting away from them. They were all laughing, clapping, shouting and overall being happy.

The pot boiled harder and louder. The stew was coming out of the pot, spilling all over the stove and on the floor. No one mattered. Everything around me went blank and all I could see was a happy bunch of friends in front of me, surrounded by the feeling of love and that pot of boiling stew that became a primary sound, occupying my ears.

My lips dried, my breath silenced and like the stew that was boiling and going out of the pot, something was also going up my throat, making me unable to breathe. Tears slowly came to my eyes but I could still see the happy friends laughing. I tried lifting my head up to avoid suffocating but the thing that was building up my throat was still going and soon I couldn't breathe. The boiling and now hard whistle sound filled my ears. Hard light came in front of my eyes and I just couldn't stand anything anymore. I just shut my eyes and waited for the punishment. Seeing the situation, it looked like I was gone. And I was certain… in my mind, I died.

…

"… The anesthesia effect! She's reacting! Hold her! Don't let it go back in her throat!", came the woman's voice.

"I'm holding her to the side. Someone, bring the bucket!", other woman shouted.

"Hold her properly or she will choke! Don't let it go back!", the first woman shouted again.

"Excuse me, Mister, but you can't be here.", said the other woman.

"I want to help her! I will not let her go!", a very familiar man voice shouted. I could hear him clearly.

"Alright, then lift her a little and hold her to the side so that she can take it all out.", the first woman spoke, this time calmly.

My lower stomach started to hurt badly! I wasn't a genius but I could figure out I was throwing up. My lungs hurt, my heart hurt, my stomach hurt and I wasn't able to open my eyes. I could clearly feel the tears sliding down my cheeks. Strong hands picked me up and held me tight by the upper arms. With one hand, I held my stomach and by instinct I reached to hold that strong hand with my other hand.

"Hang in there. It will be all right.", I heard his voice again. And it wasn't some dream; his voice came clearly to my ears. I cried more, throwing up everything out of my guts.

'_He is here… He really is here… with me. I want to see him. He is my strength and my support. I want to make it for him. I want to get better for him. Only so I can see him… Zoro…'_

I tried opening my eyes to see him but all the things around me were blurry. In the pauses of throwing up I was panting heavily as everything hurt and just when I thought there's nothing more to get out of me, there still was.

"It's okay. Just let it all out. You're doing great, [y/n]-san. Just go for it and don't worry.", that one shouting woman from before was now comforting me, massaging my back. I could barely see her – she was in a nurse uniform, standing in front of me, massaging my back and holding my forehead.

"Head-nurse, I brought the thermometer and clean towels.", another girl spoke up, coming to me, "Is there something else I can do?"

"For now, there's nothing. Just give me one towel.", and when the nurse was sure I wouldn't vomit anymore, she took a towel and wiped my mouth. Zoro put me back on the pillow. I still couldn't see very clearly.

"Z-Zo…", I tried to speak, reaching to the silhouette I thought was Zoro. He grabbed my hand and came closer to me.

"I'll be here. I won't leave you. For now, just rest.", he said and kissed me in the forehead. I fell asleep fast, still feeling the grip of his hand.

…

I woke up several more times, just to throw up more and go back to sleep right after. I haven't eaten a thing. I didn't know what hour was it, when was the operation or how long it last. I was sleeping for quite a while and each time was an empty blank dream. But every time I would wake up, Zoro was there to stroke my hair and kiss me in the forehead, to tell me that everything is going to be all right. He held my hand the whole time and kept the wonderful smile on his face, making my worries less painful; making me feel better. Zoro made me happy just by being there by my side and holding my hand. He held it tight, sitting in the chair beside my bed.

It was already night when I woke up again. This was the first time I didn't have to throw up. My stomach hurt. The area where the wound was was hot and painful. I could feel the fever that took over my body. I was sweating all over and I couldn't stand all the sheets covering me. The infusion needle and the pipes were on my right hand and on my left was Zoro, holding my hand and sleeping soundly on the rocking chair beside my bed. I let out a small sigh and smiled at his beautiful and peaceful sleeping face.

'_Thank you.'_, I thought forming a bit bigger smile at him.

The curtains on the windows were moved to the side, revealing to me a wonderful starry sky, lighting up the room with the lights of night and making me fall asleep again, this time with peaceful thoughts.

…

The bumping lunch cart wheels woke me up pretty early the next morning. Lunch lady came to my room and served me breakfast. From all that painful vomiting my stomach was empty and every food was more than welcome!

Zoro's hand was still holding mine and when I tried to sit up, he immediately woke up.

"Hey, when did you wake up? Go easy, don't push yourself too hard. How is your stomach? Is the wound okay?", he panicked, helping me to sit up a little.

"It still hurts but I'm getting used to it. Don't worry, I'm okay. I woke up a couple of minutes ago by the smell of breakfast.", I smiled looking at the bowl of watery rice soup that looked so delicious. In normal occasions I would never eat this but now I just wanted to eat up that water-like soup in front of me.

"Ah, that's right, I want breakfast too.", said Zoro and stood up. He went to lunch lady that was serving other patients in the room and asked for some spare food. He came back with the same thing I was having – hospital rice soup. But, to him, it didn't matter; he was enjoying it.

Through the breakfast, we talked about everything that happened when I was out cold. He said that I was asleep for almost 5 hours after operation and that Sanji called my parents who came fast to see me. However, they had to leave back home for work, not so long after they came to visit. Zoro also said that Sanji was there the whole time before he arrived.

"I didn't hear the phone because I was at the meeting and when I finally looked at it I had like a zillion missed calls from him. I first though he needed something for work. It only took me a few words from him to go to the boss and excuse myself from the job. I didn't give it any second thoughts, I had to come and see you as soon as possible.", he said while blushing and eating his soup fast.

"Thank you.", I said, making him stop slurping the soup and look at me, "Thank you for being there for me the whole time. It really means a lot to me.", I had already discarded that disturbing dream I had when first waking up and only thing that mattered now was Zoro and his warm presence. Zoro smiled but just when he had an opportunity to speak, the doctors came in the room and visited me first of all the others.

…

The morning check-up went nice. Doctors gave me some pain killers and were overall pleased with my recovery and positive spirit. But I couldn't do all that if it weren't for Zoro. He gave me courage and strength and he didn't do much. He just needed to sit there, beside my bed, and keep me company.

Zoro, as a stubborn guy he is, didn't want to leave to work so our talk slowly turned into argument.

"I can't leave you in that condition. I need to be by your side!", he started rising his voice.

"Zoro, I'm not alone. I'm in a hospital. Go to work! Sanji probably said what happened to me but they will all notice you're not there and suspect!", I had to respond with the same tone.

"I don't care! I want to stay!"

"Don't be such a kid, Zoro! Nami and the others will surely come to visit me and I don't want them to see you here."

"Why not?! What's the difference?!"

"Remember when we said we want to enjoy our relationship without anyone knowing about us? Let's enjoy it. They don't need to know about us just yet."

"I'll just say I came to visit you after stupid blonde called me."

"Zo-!", I wanted to yell at him but I stopped in half as I felt the sharp pain where my wound was.

"[y/n]! Are you all right?!", he immediately jumped off his chair and came to me.

"I'll be okay… I just need some rest…", I laid down back on the pillow. Zoro held my hand and looked at me with worried face. After few seconds he sighed and let go.

"Okay, I'll go to work… but I will come after I finish the job. I will surely come back to you!", he blushed and took his jacket. I smiled and relaxed. Zoro may be stubborn and sometimes loud but he also has a heart and he can also blush. That's why I love him so much!

"[y/n]-chan, [y/n]-chan.", a grandma in bed next to me called my name just when Zoro exited the room, "You have yourself one lucky guy. He looks 100% dedicated to you and you too look like you care about him.", she smiled at me.

"Thank you, Nakajima-san.", I smiled back at the nice old lady, "We both try our best to keep this relationship going. I respect his worry for me, it makes me really happy that he wants to stay and be with me, but I also don't want him to skip his job. We still didn't tell the others we're dating so, like I said, I want to enjoy this relationship without others bugging us about it."

"That's really nice, you really love him, don't you?", grandma asked.

"Yes… I really love him…", I let out a happy sigh and looked through the window.

The clouds were passing so slowly and peacefully. They seemed so fluffy, I wanted to sleep on them and just their movements made me yawn. Thinking of fluffy clouds made my eyelids heavy and I slowly went to sleep.

…

I woke up for dinner and found some fruit and get well cards on the table by my bed. Nurse told me that "some people" came by referring them as my colleagues. I noticed some homemade cookies and thought of Sanji, oranges seemed like Nami brought them and basket of other fruit seemed like Vivi.

'_They all came to visit me…_', that simple thought filled my eyes with happiness tears. I was happy to have those people as my friends. That means a world to me.

Dinner was rather… well, it was hospital food so it wasn't anything classy – soup and mashed potatoes. After I finished my dinner, Zoro came to visit, telling me he came after work but I was sleeping.

Doctors were checking me every now and then but all that mattered then was Zoro that was making me happy and putting away the stabbing pain in the stomach.

Zoro came to visit me every day after work. He would always panic a little when I was about to sit up or reach for something. My wound was healing itself but he would still be cautious and do all the things for me.

Days passed quickly when Zoro was around and soon two weeks went by. It was time for me to go home. Doctor was talking to Zoro about my home treatments, like he was assigning Zoro to be my nanny. Doctors also gave me more meds to take "in case of emergency". Zoro helped me pack, took the bags and some hospital papers and we finally left the room I spent two weeks in. I couldn't wait to leave the hospital and come back to my cozy little apartment.

Stepping out of the hospital and closing its doors behind me was like a discovery of a new world to me! Fresh autumn air was the best thing. I took a deep breath and followed Zoro to the car. I looked at his back while walking behind him and remembered how much he helped me these past days. He maybe doesn't realize it, but he was my primary thought and I fought the pain and encouraged myself to get better for him. I wanted to get better so that I could see his smile and tell him how great I feel. And I succeeded in that! My body was weak and that's why I stayed in hospital for two weeks but I fought with my weakness by keeping positive thoughts. I still looked at Zoro's shoulders and smiled remembering past days. Zoro suddenly turned to me and suggested that I go in front of him or by his side, so he can be at ease. I giggled a bit and took him by his arm and leaned to his shoulder while walking.

"I couldn't be happier.", I said quietly, almost for myself.

"You said something?", Zoro asked but I just shook my head and smiled to him.

We finally got to the car; Zoro was still panicking about my wound and helped me to get in the car slowly without making any sudden moves. He put the bags in the trunk and we steady rode home.

…

"Geez, Zoro, you don't really have to be so scared and cautious about me. I'm fine, really.", I said as he opened the door of my apartment

"You just got from hospital, so it's natural for me to be aware of your wound and your condition.", he answered.

"Yes, that may be true but you're really overreacting. You're acting like I'm pregnant.", I laughed entering my living room. It seemed so nostalgic.

"The time will come when I would have to worry about that too.", Zoro came to me and carefully wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Stop it, you idiot!", we both smiled and met in a long awaited kiss. But, Zoro quickly broke that sweet moment and ran to my kitchen.

"So, I've been looking through internet and I found some nice recipes for you. I even practiced them.", he said taking out the ingredients.

"Zoro, I just came home from hospital. Do you really think I want to eat just after I stepped in the house?", I said, carefully sitting on the sofa. Zoro got my words and put back all the pots and food he was about to cook, "But, I'm really impressed you did all that for me. Cooking and you? I just can't believe it. Did you ask Sanji for some advises?"

"No way! He's already too annoying and if I asked him for help he would just nag like some old woman.", he came and sat next to me. He was making sure I sit comfortably and put a pillow behind my back, "So, that doctor gave me these medicines and wrote how and when you'll take them. And he gave me—", I put my finger over his lips to stop him.

"Are you ever going to relax? We're finally together… alone. Then, why are you bothering with that stuff. Zoro, I'm alright… and I will be, because of you. I thank you so much for everything you've done for me. But now, let's just relax and enjoy our time together.", I took his hand and came closer to him. I ignored the sudden pain around my wound - I didn't want Zoro to constantly worry about me. He had already done too much. He put his other hand on my cheek and paused.

"I worry because I love you and I want you to get better because I care about you. You mean a lot to me, [y/n]. Just let me love you; let me show you my dedication to you, to this relationship.", he said softly.

"I know… I'm aware of everything you're doing for me… Thank you. Now, let me return that love.", I leaned and kissed him. I held Zoro's hand and he held mine. He slowly pulled me in the kiss without using force and his tongue. It was a sweet and cute kiss, like we were a couple of elementary school kids.

"This was the kiss I was longing for.", Zoro said after parting from the kiss. We looked each other in the eyes and smiled. I swear I could feel the happiness coming from Zoro and I was feeling the same way.

"The kiss is the only thing we can do now. I know you want more than that, I am the same, but we must wait some more.", Zoro blushed and made me laugh. How rude it seemed, it was true – we were both "inactive" for two weeks and we still must wait until we run to bed. That energy will continue to build up more but the current situation was just inevitable.

Just when we were about to meet up in another sweet kiss, I heard a familiar melody. My cell phone was ringing… somewhere. I looked around and spotted my purse on the kitchen counter. I was about to stand up and get it but Zoro brought me back and ran for the purse himself. Under tissues, wallet, keys and other "garbage", on the bottom of my purse was my cell phone, ringing constantly. I quickly answered the call, not looking at the number.

"_[y/n]? Finally! Where were you until now?"_, I recognized the familiar voice – it was my Mom.

"Mom? Ah, it took me a while until I got my purse and found the phone. Is everything alright?"

"_I should ask you that. How are you? How is the wound? Are you resting enough_?", she was always full of worry.

"I'm fine. I just got home. My colleague picked me up and I'm about to get something to eat.", I gave Zoro a hand signal to go and make me something in the kitchen.

"_Oh, why didn't you call us? It's true Dad's still at work but I could have picked you up from the hospital."_

"Mom, it would take you an hour to get here."

"_Still, I would come for you. Well, it doesn't matter, when Dad comes back home we'll all come to visit you and since you've just got home, I'll stay and take care of you.",_ that last thing shocked me. I was planning to have Zoro taking care of me and spending time with me but now if Mom comes…

"Mom, you don't…"

"_Oh, I have to. I am your mother and it's my duty to protect you. Now, you go eat something and rest. We'll see each other tomorrow. I love you."_

"Yeah… love you too, Mom.", and she hung up. I sighed and put the phone on the small table in front of me.

"Hey, what's the matter?", Zoro came back to me, bringing me biscuits and tea.

"My Mom just ruined all my plans… She's coming over tomorrow to 'take care of me. My sister and Dad will probably come, too…", my mood was slowly sinking. I was looking at that cup of tea in my hands and couldn't say anything more. I was mad and disappointed in the same time.

"Hey, it's okay; we still have this night for us, right? I believe you won't tell your family about us yet. I see you're not ready for that…", Zoro said, fondling me on the back up and down.

"I don't think I'll tell them soon. They've always been talking how I should focus on my job and do my best at the company. They think love would only distract me. So, we might live in secret for some time.", I looked at Zoro and smiled, making him to smile back at me and kiss me on the forehead.

After some delicious biscuits came an afternoon nap and as I got used to the hospital, I slept until the very night. I woke around 7PM and it was already dark. Zoro was still in my apartment, sitting on the sofa and working on his laptop. He left the door of my bedroom open so that he can notice when I wake up and he did, immediately. He helped me to sit up and brought me fresh vegetable soup. I am not a fan of those but I had no choice but to eat. Zoro kept me company the whole time I was eating.

"Hey… umm… we never talked about that but…", Zoro started an insecure sentence and I lifted my head to him, "Do you think that… that blonde knows about us?", he was referring to Sanji and I knew that he would ask something like that soon.

"I think so. After all, he's the one who called you when I was taken to the surgery. I believe he figured out that much.", I answered leaving the spoon in the plate.

"Do you think he maybe… told someone?", he asked again. Zoro was more worried about our secret relationship than I was.

"I don't think he would do that. Sanji is a nice guy and he doesn't go gossiping around about other people love relationships. He wouldn't do that behind our backs and without our permission.", Zoro finally looked at me, "You know… he once told me that he respects my decisions and will always be there to support me in them. And I trust him. I trust Sanji in his words and I don't think he would do anything bad to hurt me. You should put down your guard a little and believe in him. Then you would see that Sanji isn't as bad as you think he is.", Zoro only looked away and pouted. I said what I had to and I would really love those two to get along well but it's also their decision if they want that. Zoro's cell phone started to ring and he flinched a little. He stood up and came to kiss me in the forehead.

"Eat up before it gets cold. I'll be right back.", he said and left the room. I looked at the soup and sighed. It was delicious but eating only soups, mashed potatoes and salads for two weeks was tiring.

I ate my soup and spent some sweet time with Zoro after. We kissed and cuddled, laughed and talked and just spent the greatest time we missed for past two weeks. He helped me with lots of stuff but when it was the time for the shower I didn't allow him to do anything. I already learned to take a nice little shower when I was in hospital so he wasn't needed. It's true I had problems putting on the underwear but I somehow managed to do that on my own and keep that problem a secret from Zoro. However, he helped me put on the rest of my clothes which was really helpful.

"I'll be right back with you. Wait for few minutes, okay?", he said putting me in the bed. I nodded and he went to take a shower, too. I looked at the ceiling of my bedroom and sighed. Some sort of sadness was taking over my body and I couldn't control it. Tears were coming to my eyes and I couldn't push them away – I had and emotional breakdown.

_'He cares about me so much. I… I didn't know I was this weak… but… I'm grateful. He was always there for me. Always! Every time I was in a pinch, Zoro was there to help me. And what did I do to return the favor? Nothing! I brought him more worry. I swear I will become stronger so he doesn't need to worry. I'm grateful I have someone like him around. I don't know what I would do if he wasn't around… Not to help me, not to save me from bullies… but to be with me and give me his smile, his love, his kindness. Only then can I smile back at him and feel loved. Thank you… Zoro.'_

I cried and Zoro noticed that just when he came out of the bathroom. He ran to me and panicked.

"Hey, [y/n], what's wrong?! Talk to me! Are you all right?!", he looked at me with scared face. I tried wiping my tears off with my fists and smiled to him.

"I'm okay… I'm just thankful I have you by my side…", I answered. After few moments in silent Zoro sighed and fell on his knees beside my bed, still holding my hands.

"You little idiot… you scared me for a minute there.", he brought his face back up and smiled widely to me, "Of course I will be with you. You mean everything to me, _baka_!", he then stood up and wiped his hair with a towel he had around his neck, making me watch at his perfect chest. Oh God, how I loved Zoro shirtless. That view would always give me nice shivers. After he was done, he put the towel back in the bathroom and joined me in the bed. We continued our cuddling that mixed with soft kisses and after a while we fell asleep in a warm hug.

…

Sudden movement woke me up and, as I was afraid he would leave me without a word, I immediately opened my eyes and instinctively grabbed Zoro's hand. He looked at me and smiled. He came back to me and kissed me on the lips. Small tear slid down my cheek.

"I don't want you to leave me.", I said with a weak voice.

"Believe me, I'm just the same. I want to stay by your side more than ever now.", I covered my face with fists, crying more.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that this happened. My mother ruined everything! Just when we had the chance she…", Zoro took one of my hands and our eyes met again.

"Don't be sorry… It's not your fault, or your mother's. You know I love you and treasure you the most, so even if we don't see each other for some time, I'll definitely come back. You just give your best and get well again."

"But, what if I don't get better?! I stayed in hospital for two weeks because of my poor health so…", I couldn't help it, I cried more. I missed Zoro beside me the whole time I was hospitalized so now that we are alone and together, I didn't want to let him go. I didn't want him to leave me.

"Hey, hey, no! Baby, no! Listen to me! Don't say that. Oh…", he came down to me and hugged me. He laid beside me with his mouth close to my ear, "Listen, I'll be there for you, even if I'm not by your side. I'll be there, in your thoughts. I'll always be there, cheering for you to get better so that we can be together again. So, don't say stuff like that; you will get better because you are strong. You may not know that, but you are very strong-willed and I believe in you. You will succeed.", he paused and hugged me closer, "I love you, [y/n], and I always will.", he let go of the hug and looked at me. My face was horrible – all covered in tears and red.

It was painful to let him leave. Just the thought was suffocating me, but I had no choice. I never thought that I would feel this way for anyone; I never thought parting from him would be this hard… but I had to overcome it! I had to be strong – for us, for this relationship and for this love we share.

"Will you be okay?", Zoro asked, wiping tears from my cheek with his palm. I nodded and let out the last tear. Zoro hugged me again and we stayed like that for few more minutes.

I didn't want him to let go of me; I wanted that moment to last forever. I put my hands around Zoro's neck and brought myself up to kiss him. I kissed and kissed him all over his face. I wanted to kiss him so many times: to remember that feeling and keep it, before we meet again. Zoro's lips were soft, softer than ever. Tender and precious, Zoro's lips were embracing mine as I was trying to control my emotions. Our lovely kiss got interrupted by the beeping sound of the alarm clock on Zoro's phone.

"Damn…", Zoro frowned turning the alarm off.

"Go, or you're be late.", I said with a weak smile.

The truth was, I didn't want Zoro to be here anymore; I didn't want him to stall any longer or it will only get harder for me to let him go. He seemed like he got the message so he stood up and went to put on his clothes. I watched him getting dressed the whole time; Zoro was such an eye-candy.

The man standing beside my bed was my love, my treasure, my everything and because he meant so much to me, I had to do my best, become stronger and get well fast. Recovery will not be so fun without Zoro but he will surely be on my mind the whole time.

Keeping our relationship as a secret was fun but painful on the other side. So, if we want to enjoy without anyone disturbing us or butting in, we also have to make some sacrifices and in this case it was parting from one another and not seeing each other while my family is around.

I was looking at Zoro's back while he was putting on his jacket. Sharp pain stroke me around my wound but I just closed my eyes and held my breath until it passes.

"Are you okay?", Zoro asked and I opened my eyes. I had to put my smile on and not let him worry.

"I-I'll be fine. You really should go now or you'll be late for work. You know how Nami always nags about coming on time.", he chuckled a little and came to me. Zoro kneeled down and formed such unusual face – it seemed like it was filled with sadness but with a smile on. He looked like a little puppy.

"I love you.", he said and kissed me. Zoro stood up and went to the exit. My eyes widen and tears again came up.

'_He's leaving… we won't see each other for days… he's going away… Zoro… don't leave me… I…'_

"I love you too!", I shouted but got stopped as the pain got more powerful. Zoro turned around and smiled at me. I forced a smile and cried with it. He waved and that was the last thing I saw of him. As soon as the apartment door closed and bumped my head back on the pillow and looked at the ceiling unable to control my cries. With every sob the sharp pain would him my stomach, but I didn't care; the only thing I wanted was Zoro, his embrace and his kisses. I held my stomach to reduce the pain but it only got worse. Both crying and pushing my stomach made the pain unbelievably strong.

I was left alone in my bedroom, in my apartment. It never felt as empty and I thought my cries would echo. I felt sick again but controlled myself not to vomit. I rolled on my healthy left side and just breathed in and out to both calm myself and calm the pain. All the crying and sickness made me weak again so I shut my eyes and went to sleep, wanting to wake up in better condition.

…

Intense and loud ringing tone of my cell phone woke me up. I reached under my pillow to find it and stop the annoying ringing. I finally found it, clicked the answering button and still with closed eyes put it on my ear.

"Hello?", I answered with still sleepy voice.

"_[y/n], it's Mom. We FINALLY arrived at your building. We'll be coming in.",_ it was my mother's voice but I was still lazy to open my eyes. I wanted to sleep more.

"Yeah, sure… You know where I live? It's the seventh floor, second apartment."

"_So, it's 702, right?"_

"Yeah… and the door is open; just come in without ringing the bell, please. "

"_All right. We'll see you in couple of minutes.",_ I hung up and put the phone back under the pillows.

I really didn't care that they '_finally'_ came here; I didn't care about anything… I just wanted him… I closed my eyes hoping to fall asleep again. But it seemed like just as I closed my eyes that my family came in. I covered myself over the head and shut my eyes harder.

"[y/n], we're here! Where are you?", my mother shouted.

"Nee-san! I came too!", my younger sister followed. I just covered myself more and crawled into a ball.

"Don't yell like that. She's in bed, look.", my father always kept somehow decent low tone. I heard plastic bags rustle and footsteps coming closer to me.

"A-aah, nee-san, you shouldn't cover yourself like that. You'll die.", Mari was now really annoying. She pulled the cover off which annoyed me more.

"Araa, did we wake you up? How are you?", my Mom asked and sat next to me, stroking my hair. I finally opened my eyes to them. My sister and my Mom were smiling while Dad only stood behind them with crossed arms.

"I'm fine, just a little tired.", I answered.

"Well, I'll cook you some nice vegetable soup and your nana's homemade stew and you'll be alright.", Mom said and smiled to me. She asked Dad to help her with bags, leaving me with Mari, my sister.

_'Vegetable soup, huh?'_, I thought of him.

"How are you?", Mari asked me.

"I feel horrible – I'm sleepy all the time and sometimes I get sick so I must control it somehow. I can't wait to get well.", I answered and she put the cover back on me. We chatted and as a weird kid she is, she asked to see the wound. I was really disgusted with it – it was all swollen and red with stitches still showing.

We all had breakfast together in the living room and talked. They were all glad I came back home after so long in the hospital but my parents also worried about my job. I told them that the boss wished me to get better and not worry about the work. My Mom said she will stay with me until I recover which worried me but I just smiled and thanked her. We got caught up in the talk that it was almost time for lunch but before we started eating the doorbell rang. My sister opened it and my colleagues were there. That really brought the smile on my face.

"Heya, [y/n], how ya been?", asked Ace.

"Have you been eating well? You just need to eat and you'll get better! Guarantee!", said Luffy right after but Sanji punched him on the head making him bow in apologize.

"Guys, I'm so happy to see you all here. I've been great, resting a lot and eating.", I looked at Luffy on the end of the sentence and he smiled.

"That's so great to hear. We brought you some fruit and Sanji-kun bought you bread, saying you like it.", Nami said putting down a basket full of fresh fruit, get well cards and bread from the bakery Sanji and I went to.

"Thank you so much! Please, make yourselves at home. I'm sorry I don't have enough room for all of you.", Mari, Mom and Dad stood up and went to kitchen, making room from my friends.

Nami and Vivi sat beside me, Ace went straight to the armchair he liked so much and argued with Luffy about it. Sanji sat on the last free chair from my room. They were all here except Robin and Zoro. When I asked them about her, Nami told me she went on a business trip few days ago. My Mom served us some cookies and cut that fruit to go with it.

"But, [y/n ], it's a little weird…", Nami started and I looked at her, "We asked him but he ignored us. He really acts weird ever since you got hospitalized… Do you maybe know what's wrong with Zoro?"

* * *

_To be continued..._


	13. Chapter 13

_This came a little faster than the last chapters but it's because the year is drawing to a close and i want to write so much before New Year. So, expect new chapter soon ;)_

_**Summary from the previous chapter**: The operation of your appendix went well and you were more happy that Zoro was around when you woke up. He came to visit every day after work and did that for the whole two weeks you were hospitalized. When you finally came back home and FINALLY got time to be alone with Zoro, Mom calls to check on you and says that she'll be coming tomorrow to take care of you the whole time you are at home. It's disappointing, of course, you wanted to spend time with Zoro and not your Mom! But you couldn't help it, no matter how hard it was for you two to part, you just had to do it if you wanted to still keep your relationship a secret from others. That day your family came, your colleagues visited you too bringing you lots of great wishes and nice food. Suddenly, Nami says Zoro has been acting weird and asks you if you know what's with him..._

* * *

Curious glances were coming from all around the room. I easily became the center of all the attention. Everyone was waiting some sort of explanation from me but I couldn't utter a word; I seemed like a lost rabbit, cornered by hungry wolves. My stomach started to hurt; not from the wound but from the pressure of the stares. I could barely swallow and yet talk. I looked at my hands which were on my knees, wrinkling the fabric of my pants.

"Zor—"

"Nami-san, don't be funny. How could [y/n]-san know about Zoro when she's been hospitalized all this time.", before I could say anything Sanji already made a story. I raised my head to him but he didn't look back; instead, he was looking at Nami that was sitting beside me.

'_Thank you.'_, I thought and immediately felt relieved. I didn't want to explain myself at all. I just hoped the story won't drag on.

"[y/n], who is that Zoro?", my Mom's voice came as she was approaching our group, carrying the plate with tea.

"Umm, he's… Zoro is my colleague from the department below mine."

"That's right, and he was also worried about [y/n]-san, like the rest of us.", Sanji filled up the story again for me but somehow I was feeling more nervous. The story dragged on and went deeper – just the thing I didn't want to happen.

"Oh, is that so? Well, maybe he can come to visit sometimes.", my Mom continued. I just wanted her to shut up and don't dig in deeper than it's supposed to.

"I don't think so, Mam. First, he's not so friendly; he rejected us today when we suggested him to come. And second, he's that department's head chief so he always has more work than the rest of our colleagues. He stayed in the company, typing like mad. But," then Sanji finally looked at me and smiled, "I'm sure he wishes the best recovery for [y/n]-san."

Mom smiled to him and went back to kitchen. I could finally let out a sigh of relief; Sanji saved me big time and I definitely owe him because of that. But, not long after Sanji finished him talk Vivi spoke up.

"But, doesn't Zoro-san live—"

"Vivi-chan.", Sanji raised his voice so that everyone flinched and looked at him, my parents too, "Would you help me prepare one delicious fruit salad with that marvelous fruit you just brought.", he smiled at Vivi, stopping her in her track. I could sense she was a bit frightened and couldn't continue her sentence. She just nodded as Sanji offered her a hand.

"[y/n]-san, is it okay if we use your kitchen for a bit?", Sanji asked, still smiling. It wasn't that warm and delicate smile but the fake smile which was forced on his face. I nodded and he went to the kitchen with Vivi, not letting down his smile in front of my parents.

The others watched all this in surprised, like they were in the cinema or watching some soap opera on TV. Just to break the silence and do something, I picked up a cookie and my cup of tea. In the group, no one spoke a word, it was just Sanji chatting with my Mom and Vivi and the plates clatter.

"[y/n], where does that Zoro live?", my father's voice suddenly came and all the clatter silenced. That struck me like a thunder - I wasn't prepared for that. I looked at my Dad – he was resting his head on his palm, leaned on the kitchen countertop, looking at me like a hawk. He was always strict about everything I and my sister do and he was the one who said to me not to involve love in my life the whole time that I'm employed. I was trying not to seem nervous or frightened but just his gaze was enough to kill me.

'_I had to say something! I can't rely on Sanji all the time.'_, I looked at Sanji, letting him know I'll be fine on my own on this one. I took a small breath and put the cup of tea back on the living room table in front of me.

"He lives not so far away from here… but since we're different departments we don't encounter much. He is a great colleague and despite he's a workaholic, we likes to help everyone. These guys here can say the same – Zoro can really be reliable all the time. It's too bad he didn't come with the others; you would see that he's a great friend, just as I said.", I finished with a smile, praying that I convinced my parents that Zoro is _just_ a colleague and a great person overall.

I could feel everyone's smiles and now warm and positive energy. The atmosphere in the room became more relaxed and that was the thing I was looking for since the beginning. Sanji cut the silence, bringing us one of a kind, wonderful fruit salad.

…

The rest of the time my friends had was filled with laughs and was all I needed. The time came when they had to go back to the company as the lunch break was already over. My Dad and sister also had to go back home, leaving me with my Mom. She put me back to bed, cleaning the dishes herself.

'_Thank God all of that's over…'_, I thought bumping my head on the pillow and looking at the room's ceiling, _'If they would ask anything more about Zoro I swear I would run away. And… if it wasn't for Sanji to start the story I don't know how I would get out of that hole of curiosity my Mom dig. He really saved me and I should repay him as soon as possible. But damn…',_ I rolled over on my healthy side and hugged a pillow, 'I miss him so much… It's only the first day and it's already this hard for me.', sad emotions took over me but I quickly shook my head and rolled back on my back, _"No! We'll make it through! We have to! And as for me, I have to stay strong! I have to keep it in mind that Zoro will come to after all this charade is over and my Mom goes home. I have to stay focused and positive.'_, I shut my eyes and "tried to focus on the best".

"[y/n]…", Mom's voice broke my thoughts as she came and sat on my bed. I opened my eyes to look at her. She put the cup of tea on my nightstand and looked at me. Her face showed worry but she quickly smiled to cover it up, "Nee, what is it with that your colleague… Sanji was it? Are you two close?", that surprised the hell out of me!

"What? Mom!", I yelled at her sitting up but she just continued to smile, "Mom, there's nothing between me and Sanji, okay?! He's my dear friend and a wonderful helping colleague. He helped me many times in life, how can you ask something like that?!"

"I don't know; I was only curious. Since he continues your sentences and fills it up for you I thought…"

"That has nothing to do with us being in a relationship or anything! Sanji only told you guys what is Zoro doing and why didn't he come today."

"Yes, but it all seems like he knows you pretty well to talk in your place."

"Mom, stop it! I don't want to talk about that anymore – Sanji is just my colleague! We work at the same department and that's it! Besides…", I calmed the tone in my voice, "you and dad told me not to fall in love while if I want to keep this job because I can't focus enough if '_something like'_ love distracts me.", I clenched my teeth remembering I'm still keeping a secret that I'm in love with Zoro from them. But I had to! It's not the time to tell anybody, especially not my family.

"All right… I won't ask anything more…", Mom said with a sad tone and stood up but she smiled once again at me, "Drink your tea and then rest. I'll be in the kitchen preparing lunch for you.", she said and went out of my bedroom.

For some time I just sat in silence and watched the closed door.

'_Maybe I yelled too much… After all, she's my mother and I…'_

I lay back on the pillow and closed my eyes. I couldn't force my brain any more than this. I just wanted to rest and forget all this mix up about my parents. And just like that, before I knew it, I fell asleep, dreaming a lovely date with Zoro which made me worry less and feel happy and satisfied inside.

…

Days with my Mom around the house went super slow. I was looking though the hospital papers and found one where doctor wrote me to come again on a checkup after a week of home treatment. I was still left with 3-4 days with my Mom around. Like I said, those days were passing unbelievable slow and boring. I mailed Nami to send me some work or I would die of boredom – my mother was strict that I must stay in bed all the time and not make any pressure on my wound. But all that sleeping/lying/sitting was… boring! I was feeling like I became a cat; all I did was eating and sleeping.

One night, just when I was about to lay in bed after a hot and relaxing shower, my cell phone light up as I got a text message. Thinking it's not so important I first made myself comfortable in the bed and after that checked the phone. My eyes widen when I read the senders name and number.

"_I was sitting for hours, every day, thinking about texting you. Shitty blonde was bugging me with some love messages, trying to convince me to write you one. You know I don't do that. So, I'll just say that I miss you terribly much and that I can't wait to see you again. I want you to get well soon so that I can hold you in my arms and say how much I love you. I will be waiting for you, don't worry, you just listen to your Mom, rest and get well. Few months ago I couldn't imagine that I would be this way. It's kind of embarrassing but I really feel like you became a huge part of my life. I love you so much, [y/n] and I can't wait to see you._

_Zoro"_

My eyes immediately filled with tears and I covered my mouth with my other hand, to mute my crying. Mom was watching TV in the living room but the door of my bedroom was open so she could easily hear me. I pulled the blanket over my head and crawled into a ball, sobbing in my hand with the phone in my other. My tears just couldn't stop! I looked at the words and letters of the message and cried more until I finally shut my eyes pressing the hand on my mouth harder. Sadness took over my body and the harder I squeezed myself into the ball the more painful my wound became; but I didn't care about it! All I wanted was to see Zoro. I wanted it so bad!

It was already the fifth day since I haven't seen or heard anything from Zoro and the message he sent just stuck me like lightning, right in the heart. All the emotions I was keeping shut and almost forgot about them now emerged to the surface and no matter the wound and the pain; I had to let the out by crying. I was both happy he messaged me and sad that he isn't beside me.

In one moment I finally snapped out of the crying and unlocked the phone – I had to reply to him but as soon as I clicked "_reply_" and new message opened, my fingers froze. My mind was hurrying me up so that Zoro won't wait but it also didn't have any idea how to reply to his message. I pulled the blanket off of my head and took a deep breath. I wrote the first words that came to my mind:

"_I can say the same thing – I can't wait to get better so that I can finally see you. Zoro, you just can't imagine how much I miss you and how bad I want to see you. Also, you don't have to worry, my Mom is doing the entire job and I'm resting all day. What's the greatest news, my wound is not hurting so bad like I was in the hospital. I'm taking my meds and eating well. But, what I want to do is apologize to you, for not texting you all this time. It's just that my Mom is around cooking for me like mad or yelling at me to get some more sleep. She's acting like I'm a little kid. Never mind that, in just two days I'm going on a check for doctors to see my condition. I'll text you what did they say, I promise. For now, I really miss you around. I miss your kisses, your hugs and your touch. I can't wait to see you again. It's so difficult being next to your apartment and not being able to see you. I love you so much, Zoro, don't ever forget that!"_

I ended and sent the message. A lovely and smile filled with happiness formed on my face as the light on my cell phone slowly faded. I put the phone under my pillow and turned to the side, ready to go to sleep. Just as that first sweet dream came to my mind the vibration under my head surprised me and made me flinch. I took the phone again and read another message from Zoro. He again messaged me with similar words I texted him. We missed each other so bad but we had to bear with it. He ended with a "_good night_", apologizing he messaged me in late hour.

I too replied with "_good night_" and fell asleep with a smile on my face and happy thoughts about Zoro. It's true that I miss him so bad that I want to cry but it makes me happy that he thinks about me and waits for me. I too can't wait to meet him again, kiss him and make up for all this time that we lost.

…

Remaining two days were the days of the weekend and they seemed to pass too quickly. My mind was mostly filled with happy thought of Zoro and I was only focused on meeting him again. Sometimes, I went really into my thoughts that I forgot about the things around me, like my Mom. She yelled at me to stop zoning out and eat, but I couldn't help it – I went to my "_Zoro paradise_" again after few minutes.

"Wow, the week has already passed…", I said all the sudden in the middle of our lunch. I laid my head on the palm of my hand looking at the digital clock on the stove.

"You missed work for more than three weeks. Will you be alright?", Mom asked and got up off the stool she bought for me yesterday. I was sitting on the other one still eating mushy lunch on the counter.

"I will be okay… I guess… There's no doubt I have a pile of papers waiting but knowing Nami and how bossy she is, someone has probably done all of those. I will repay them for everything they've done for me."

"You will go back to work soon but don't push yourself too hard. Work nicely and be focused but know your limit.", Mom said, wiping her hands after she washed her plate.

"I know… The others will probably say that to me too when I go back.", I said handing over the empty plate to my Mom, "And also, I can't wait to see the doctor tomorrow and ask him to eat something different from soups and mashed potatoes. That food is already boring."

"You can't help it, you must eat that food until your stomach is ready for something else.", Mom said but I just rolled my eyes and went to the sofa to watch some comedy shows on TV.

Soon after, old lady Ishikawa rang the doorbell and brought me her home-made cookies. Lady Ishikawa visited me these past days bringing me her delicious homemade food. She also helped Mom a lot and we're both so grateful to her, for everything she has done. She has also cleaned my apartment whenever I go to business trip. I really love that woman!

…

Monday morning came and the alarm on my phone went on. I mumbled and hit "snooze"; I had lost my business habit to get up right after the alarm rings. I only pulled the blanket over my head and tried to fall asleep again. After some time, phone rang again. It was so annoying and that beeping sound pierced my ears; I wanted to slam the phone in the opposite wall. But just when I grabbed him, my Mom came to my room.

"Come on, it time for you to get up. Get dressed and come, I already made breakfast.", she reminded me of old days when she would stream in mine and my sister's shared room and wake us up for school. She wouldn't leave until she sees us completely out of the bed, standing up; and she was like that this time, too. She left the room when I went to the bathroom. I washed my face with cold water to wake myself up and after that continued with the morning routine.

Mom asked me 1000 times if I got all the papers for the hospital and the check up. She worried without any reasons. When we finished our breakfast and cleaned up all the stuff we took our coats and went out. It's been a week since I stepped out of my apartment and have any contact with the "_outside world_".

"I hope everything is all right. If the doctors say you recovered I would have to leave.", Mom was getting sad when we entered the train.

"Hey, don't be like that. We had a great time together and you were a major help to me; and if doctors say that I recovered perfectly, it's all thanks to you, Mom. Thank you.", I said. Mom smiled to me and held my hand tightly. I laid my head on her shoulder, smiling happily.

Once we reached the hospital, the nurse directed us to my doctor and asked us to wait for him to call out my name. We waited for a couple of minutes in front of the office until doctor called me in. Mom shamelessly followed even though I am an adult and I don't need her company.

"Welcome, [y/n]-san. How are you feeling?", the doctor asked me taking his seat.

"I feel really good. My stomach doesn't hurt almost at all, I tried eating a bit different food but I've been eating more of that lighter food. Resting helped me a lot to heal my wound. I've been taking good care of it, trying not to make much pressure on it but after all this time it only reacts if I really push it hard.", I told my story while the mustache doctor wrote something down, nodding all the time.

"Oh, don't push it for any reason. If you can eat other food than mashed potatoes or vegetable soups and if your stomach accepts it, then I'm happy to say everything's all right. Now, I need you to lie on that bed and show me the wound so I can see how much it healed. If it's still '_raw'_ you need to stay at home more and take some more medication. Let's hope it's nice and healthy.", he said and guided me to the bed. I pulled my shirt up and my pants a bit down. Doctor looked at it, touched it a couple of times and then went to his desk. There, he picked up the phone and dialed calling for some "newbie". Minutes after he ended the call a knock on the door came and a tall young man came in, wearing the same white coat but somehow he didn't seemed like a professional doctor. Two doctors talked a bit and came to me together. The young one put on sterile gloves and a mask over his face. That honestly scared me.

"[y/n]-san, this is our trainee. He's an honor student on medical university and he's here to perfect his skills. Next year he may work here with all of us.", doctor smiled and tapped the young shy boy on the shoulder. The boy blushed and then looked at me, slipping the mask off his mouth.

"M-my name's is Tony Chopper. _Y-Yoroshiku onegai shimasu!",_ he bowed and I smiled which made him blush a little more, "I-I will cut the stitches off your wound now. It may sting you but I'll try to be gentle as possible."

"It's alright, Dr. Chopper, you just do your job.", I smiled and he blushed again. Chopper was the cutest thing I've seen. He seemed clumsy but when he started to cut the string he seemed so professional and fully focused on his job. It hurt a little but it wasn't a pain I couldn't handle. It took him about 5 minutes to cut everything and clean the area. He offered me his hand to stand up and look myself in the large mirror. I examined the area where my cut was and it didn't leave a bad scar – it was small, still little pink but the doctor said it'll become regular skin color after some time.

I exited the doctor's office pleased and with a smile on my face – I didn't have to take any more meds, only in emergency, I was set free to eat regular food, small portions at first, and I was okay to start going to work just the next day.

"I am really relieved everything's all right and you healed perfectly.", my Mom sighed happily. It seemed like a huge weight came off her chest.

"And it's all thanks to you. Thank you for caring for me, Mom."

"It was only natural that I care for my own daughter.", she smiled back at me and hugged me. She broke the hug to hand me over the papers doctor gave her.

"Oh, is that you, [y/n]?", I heard a familiar voice coming behind me. I turned around to see Usopp, my colleague from Zoro's department; but now he was wearing casual clothes instead of a suit. He came to us and met my mother.

"Usopp, what brings you to the hospital? Is everything okay?", I asked a little bit worried.

"Ah, yeah, everything's fine. I came to take some medics for my friend and meet my other friend that is working here.", he said with a smile.

"Oh, Usopp!", voice again came behind me and young honor student Chopper came running to us.

"Yo, Chopper. Is your break on?", asked Usopp and Chopper nodded.

It all soon became a big chatting and I found out that Usopp, Chopper and Luffy are friends for a long time now. Usopp then apologized to me that he couldn't come with others the other day because he some urgent business around the town.

"Hey, [y/n], you want me to tell others I met you or will you tell them your condition on your own?", Usopp asked as Mom and I were preparing to leave.

"Leave it to me, I want to surprise everyone tomorrow when I come to work.", I said and winked. Usopp got the idea and gave me thumbs up. Mom and I left the hospital and headed to the train station to go home because it was freezing for any kind of walks around the town.

…

Time on the clock was already at noon when my Mom and I entered the apartment. We stayed silent ever since we stepped out of the hospital. I must admit – when she was told me over the phone she'll come I felt hurt, I didn't want to part from Zoro but now that she stayed for 7 whole days, I didn't want _her_ to leave me. We practically don't see each other at all since I work a lot and she has her own job back at our hometown.

I went to my bedroom and sat on the bed, still silent with my mother. She went straight to kitchen to cook. I fell on the bed and just stayed like that, absorbing all the clatter from my kitchen as I don't have a chance to hear that every day and since she'll leave in just an hour, I wanted to remember that sound. That on my mind, I stood up and rushed to my mother, not wanting to waist this little time we go together.

"Leave the salad and plates to me, you just watch those steaks not to get burned.", I said taking the plates from her hands. I put them on the counter and went to prepare us a lettuce salad. When it was done, I served it and my Mom followed with the steaks.

"It's already been a week, huh?", she sighed sitting on one of the stools.

"I said the same thing.", I tried to make a joke but it just didn't work, "Tomorrow I go back to work, I'll do my best to catch up with the others and when I finish my job and come back home, I'll surely call you and tell you how the day went.", I smiled at her and she too formed a little smile, "Now, let's eat!"

We ate and joke around and without realizing, time passed. It was already time for Mom to leave. She wanted to do the dishes but I stopped her rushing her not to be late for her bus. She took her packed suitcase and we both went to the elevator. I called a taxi and it waited for her in front of the building.

She entered the cab constantly saying she loves me. I replied to her every sentence. When she was about to close the door I shouted "_Thank you!"_ with a soft smile. I could swear I saw a tear on the edge of my Mom's eye.

I rushed back inside as the cold weather was getting under my skin. I ran in the elevator and later in my apartment. I wasn't feeling any pain but I just wanted to cry. I don't know if it was because my Mom went back home or that the chance to finally see Zoro has come. It may be both!

I bumped on the bed, hugged my pillow and sobbed hard. I could easily let out my emotions now, without hiding from anyone. And it felt good; it felt great. All that crying tired me and I soundly fell asleep.

…

Out of nowhere, I winced out of an empty dream and when I looked outside it was already dark. My phone showed me 9:12PM. I stood up but felt all soar and tired of tears so I decided to take a relaxing and wake up shower. I was done quickly and laid back on the bed, looking at the empty screen of my cell phone. I clicked the "_Call Log_" and immediately found his number. Unbelievable emotions took over my body and I started to shake. I couldn't be in the bed any more. I went to the sofa, still holding the cell phone which was the small light in the dark apartment. I finally dared myself to click the little call icon.

The telephone rang and I just prayed he'll answer. I needed to hear his voice. I pulled the edge of my short nightgown while tears like pearls freely rolled off my cheeks. The longer the telephone rang the more I cried and the less hope I had he'll answer but I didn't give up, I didn't dare to hang up until he answers. Finally, the sound of picking up the phone came to my ears and before he could say anything I let out my voice…

"I need you…", and sobbed in the phone. I didn't hear anything on the other side but instead I heard hard running footsteps and the front door of my apartment pushed open. I still held the phone near my ear and looked up. Hair moved from my face, making room for more shiny tears to fall. He was standing there, just in his pants, with wide eyes and his wet green hair, holding his cell phone in his hand. I was kneeling by my sofa, right across of him.

"Zo—", I slowly reached to him but he just slammed the door back and ran to me. He too kneeled and hugged me strongly, pulling me closer to him. I slowly raised my arms and put them on his back, hugging him back.

He was there, right there with me, my one and only, Zoro. The man I loved the most in the world was finally there with me, after such a long time… It seemed like a dream but the only difference was that it was real – it was so real and so precious. That was the moment we were both waiting for these past 7 days. It was the moment to show our love and our dedication to one another, a precious moment for just two of us.

We stayed in silence, kneeling beside the sofa, hugging each other without words. I sobbed in Zoro's shoulder, hugging him more and more, wanting to feel his presence and his being. In that moment, Zoro was again, the only thing I needed. I almost forgot the feeling of his love but now, it was strongly coming out of him and the all the energy in the room with all the feelings was overlapping. In that hug we became one. Our hearts were once again connected.

"You're finally here…", Zoro finally whispered in my ear. I pulled my head over his shoulder and hugged him closer, letting some small tears come out.

"Yes… and we're finally together…", I replied softly.

"I love you.", we both said at the same time making each other flinch in surprise.

Zoro pulled me out of the hug looking me straight in the eyes. I put my arms on his shoulders and slowly came closer. The feeling that was dominating in me was some strange feeling I never felt before – like I was about to kiss the guy I like for the very first time. I was nervous and happy – I wanted to meet him in a sweet kiss. Zoro put his one hand on my cheek, pulling me closer to him. My eyes immediately went down to his lips that seemed so soft, so moist and so sweet I couldn't wait to taste them. The closer we got the nervous I became but it was a nice kind of nervousness. More like anxiety as I wanted his kiss so bad in the moment!

The final move was made as we both closed our eyes and met in a tender and precious kiss that never tasted more lovable. The moment our lips touched another tear came down my cheek and it was the last one because I didn't have any more reasons to be sad – Zoro was finally there with me!

In the first it was just our lips touching but the kiss advanced a bit with every moment passing and soon I found myself, sitting in Zoro's lap, facing him directly while our passionate kiss lasted. He wrapped his arms around my back, pulling me closer to him, deepening the kiss. Our tongues danced in once unique and beautiful rhythm. Our bodies and actions were perfectly in sync.

I didn't sit in Zoro's lap forever because he stood up, not breaking the kiss, carried me to the bedroom. He laid me carefully on the bed and came over me, still kissing me like a master. He held himself on his forearms that were placed beside my head; his fingers pushed through my hair. Zoro slowly lowered himself to me, paying close attention to be careful and not to press his body so much on mine.

"I missed you so much, my beautiful angel…", he said with soft voice, parting from the kiss.

"I missed you two. Let's not do that again, please… I want you to be all the time with me…", I said looking him in the eyes, caressing him on the cheek. Zoro came back to me and hugged me, staying silent for some time.

"I will never leave you again. I want to be with you all the time.", he said to my ear and then came back into another sweet and lovely kiss.

He was again caring not to bring too much pressure on my body but with my hands pushing his shoulders down I gave him a signal that it's okay to "_lay_" over me. Our lips part just so that Zoro can go down to my neck and make me moan once again. He stayed on my soft spot and worked magic, sending me shivers all over my body. Holding my head, he tilted it slightly to the side to get a better approach to that secret and sacred spot on my neck that would, by kissing and sucking on it, raise the adrenalin and other chemicals in my body. I pulled Zoro by his hair, letting him know I want more – more than kissing the neck. It was enjoyable but I thought I reached my limit; I couldn't stay calm with just kisses.

Zoro pulled himself back up and looked at me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him first, wanting him to relax and enjoy my kisses instead of doing the entire job himself. We once again brought ourselves in perfect sync of perfect kisses but I easily broke that. We looked each other in the eyes and just by those stares he understood my intentions.

"Is it really okay?", he asked with a worried face. I nodded and smiled, encouraging him to move onto the next level.

Seeing convinced, Zoro again came down to me and kissed me on the lips and over the neck, slowly going lower. He slowly pulled off the strap of my nightgown, kissing the revealed skin. He proceeded that way until I was left just in my panties. He came back to me and while kissing me he pulled off his pants showing to me his dear member that I missed so much. My panties were easily off too but once he placed himself in the right position the wonderful feeling took over my body and lasted the whole time he was slowly thrusting in me.

Zoro would often ask me if my stomach hurts but I just continued to encourage him to keep it up as I was having the best sensational feeling in the world!

After taking it slowly for some time, his pace started to speed up and the feeling only became more wonderful. I didn't want him ever to stop! I wanted Zoro to continue making love to me the whole night but long time since he entered me I started to feel that my climax was coming.

"Zoro… I … c—", he got it and sped up a bit more. I felt him growing inside me as he was now hitting my "edge". I screamed his name as my back arched and I finally had my orgasm. Zoro pumped a couple more times and came to an end himself, finishing the job on my stomach. He then fell beside me and we both panted of exhaustion. He took my hand and crossed his fingers with mine and smiled but quickly came to me and started to panic.

"Are you okay? Did I go too fast? Does is hurt you? Did I hurt you anywhere?", I only smiled and shook my head, placing my hand on his cheek.

"I am fine, you don't need to worry. You did great… I love you so much.", Zoro blushed a little but smiled quickly after. He came and kissed me but sat up and took the tissues from my nightstand to wipe off his product of my stomach. We had a great laugh and after that continued to cuddle until we fell asleep.

I didn't feel any sharp pain that would make me want to stop Zoro, I only felt warmth and pleasure coming from my lower stomach. It did hurt at first but knowing and realizing that Zoro is the one inside me made me less scared of my wound and any pain. It's because he is there. It's because I love him like no one before!

* * *

_To be continued..._


	14. Chapter 14

_Okay, I need to hurry it up! I'm waaay behind my schedule with this story! T^T_

_**Summary from the previous chapter:** Sanji saved you the explaining by saying Zoro is just a colleague. Your Mom stayed with you for another 7 days until you had your checkup. Once you went to a doctor, young doctor Chopper removed your stitches and you got a permission to go to work. You parted with your Mom and couldn't wait to see Zoro again. You two had a great reunion night._

* * *

Beeping sound that was followed by the intense vibration pierced my ears. I immediately took the pillow and put it over my head but it didn't help at all. Only then, I realized that two strong arms were wrapped around my waist. I looked at my lover, who was sleeping right beside me. The phone alarm continued to annoy me but it didn't bother him. In that moment, I wanted to catapult that beeping bastard right through the closed window but instead I just took it and turned the alarm off. Zoro mumbled something and hugged me tighter. His grip was tight and his arms strong, I couldn't do a thing to get myself out. I also wanted to sleep more but the alarm clock reminded me that it was the day I start working again and I couldn't be late right on the "first" day.

"Zoro…", I whispered, turning to face him. As expected, he didn't move a bit, "Zoro…", I raised my voice a bit pushing him on the shoulders. Zoro only frowned and snorted a bit. I added more power to push him awake and raised my voice more. He suddenly opened his eyes and shut my mouth… with his. I was a bit scared by his actions but I still couldn't free myself.

"Will you just keep it quiet and come back to sleep?", he said, still frowning, after a long "shut up" kiss. I only looked him in the eyes, unable to say a thing, "Yeah, just like that…", he said and laid back on his pillow, still holding me around the waist. It took me a couple of moments to "come back to reality".

"We're going to be late for work, you sleeping sex maniac!", I yelled and finally pushed him away.

"Is that so? … You care about work more than about me, huh?", he asked looking up at me, still not taking his head off the pillows.

"It's not that!", I came down and kissed him on the forehead, "I love you so much…", I said softly, "but we're seriously going to be late if you don't move your ass out of the bed!", I yelled again.

"Tch, you're seriously persistent and annoying!", he yelled back and took him phone that was under his pillow, "Look, it's still early! It's 6:00, so where are you hurrying?!", he showed me the phone and almost hit me in the face with it.

"It only gives us more time to pr—", I didn't finish my sentence because he grabbed me again.

"It only gives us more time to be together.", he kissed he on the back of the neck and moved closer to me, "We're still naked… let's have a quick one, hmm?"

"Wh-what are you saying?! We don't have time for—", my sentence was again cut by his moves, this time his hand reaching down by back and over my ass.

"Let's…", he whispered into my ear, massaging my butt more intensively.

"You are really a sex maniac.", I said clenching my teeth.

His foreplay became more seductive and I was slowly giving in. I couldn't resist the temptation and his strong hands gripping my ass. We remained in that position with my back facing him and… we did it.

After that "quick one" we were both panting heavily, Zoro's arms still holding me around the waist. Sweat was covering my whole body but I just couldn't move and go to the shower. Now it was me who wanted to stay in bed.

Zoro kissed me on the shoulder, making me turn to him. We kissed and cuddled but I suddenly flinched and sat up. I found my phone under the pillows and screamed at the clock. It was already 7:35! I shot looks at Zoro who hugged the pillows more, like he was hiding from me. I streamed out of the bed and in the bathroom, cursing and yelling at Zoro and his damn sexy and seductive moves.

The shower I took was the quickest one I could ever imagine! As soon as I got out of the bathroom, Zoro got in. I quickly brushed my hair, took the first clothes that I saw in the wardrobe and put it on. I didn't even bother for the make-up; I just put on the lip balm I had in my purse and sprayed the perfume a couple of times on my neck.

On the other hand, Zoro didn't even bother to hurry – after he got out the bathroom, still yawning, he lazily wiped his chest with a towel. I was literally boiling inside, watching him move like a slug.

"Will you hurry the fuck up?!", I yelled at him, gripping tightly the strap of my briefcase.

"Will you calm the fuck down?", that was his response which made me even more angry. On the clock was already 7:51 and we were late. He left the wet towel back in the bathroom and went to his apartment to change into clothes for work. I locked my apartment and impatiently waited for him by his door. Clock was ticking and my foot wouldn't stop tapping in annoyance and the nervousness.

When I heard his footsteps coming closer, I rushed to the elevator and press the "down" button. I heard Zoro yawning behind me while locking his apartment door. He came to me playing with his car keys.

"So, what am I supposed to tell Nami why am I late?", I asked looking up at Zoro.

"You still worry about that? I'll say something to her, don't sweat it.", he didn't sound encouraging at all. I just sighed and we went into the elevator. I was still nervous and pissed off. If boss scolds me I'll kill Zoro, for sure!

"Your little 'quick one' will get us fired…", I mumbled but Zoro heard me and growled.

"Okaaaay, I'm sorry. Is that what you want to hear?! I AM SORRY I HAD SEX WITH YOU THE FIRST THING IN THE MORNING!", in that moment the door opened at some old grannies came in, looking at us with wide eyes.

When they came in I just rolled my eyes at Zoro and facepalmed. It was such uncomfortable situation; I just wanted to get out of the elevator. When the door opened and the grannies went out we could finally breathe normally. The elevator soon reached the parking lot and once we got in the car Zoro drove us to work as fast as he could.

…

At work, I reported to the boss that I was back and that I would start with the work right away. He gave me green light and supported me. Zoro waited for me in front of the office to go and apologize to Nami

"Yes, I can understand why you are late, [y/n]. In fact, you don't even need to apologize. On the other hand…", she looked at Zoro like she was about to kill him, "Why are YOU late?"

"It's my fault, Nami. I forgot the feeling how was it to get up early for work and slept in. I missed the train so Zoro agreed to drive me here. I am sorry.", I bowed again and Zoro followed. Nami was silent for some time but forgave us soon after.

I went to the elevator with Zoro, to send him off to his department.

"You owe me big time. I didn't have any breakfast so you need to go and buy me something to eat. Aside that, the real punishment comes when we arrive home.", I tapped him on the shoulder and smiled. I can't describe what face he made – it was mix of surprise, annoyance and a little fear. After the door of the elevator closed, I went to my desk and met with a little pile of papers. I sighed a little, remembering how I used to work perfectly. Now, I need to "learn" all over again.

…

Sanji, along with my other colleagues in the department, helped me to get into my old working routine and they also updated me with all the information. Zoro actually did what I said – he bought me breakfast and delivered it personally to my desk saying "You should eat more to regain strength you need for work.". And so, hours passed, break passed and we all worked. I didn't have much to do but it was still tiring for me. In chat, laughs and lots of typing, our shift ended. Robin once told me that she is in afternoon shift so that I would be in charge in the morning but I totally forgot about that… until she came out of the elevator. She was also surprised I came to work but that passed as she quickly taught how to be the head-chief and "own" the shift. There were so many information my head started to hurt.

"Okay, I noted some stuff. Thank you for the tips.", I said intentionally wanting to stop Robin in her damn long explanation.

"I hope it will help you. If you need something more, you can always give me a call.", she said, turning on her computer.

"Thanks. I'll be leaving now.", I couldn't wait to get out and away from all those busy people. I took a heavy sigh when the elevator door closed in front of me. I leaned to the back of elevator box as I felt the pressure in my lower stomach. The elevator door opened again and I quickly stood up as I thought Zoro would enter but I was just disappointed because some other colleagues came in and stand in front of me.

When I exited at the reception desk I looked at my phone. I was in doubt.

'_Should I call him? I'm stupid for not letting him know that I'm with Robin…',_ I shut my eyes, wanting to rewind all and fix my mistake. Suddenly the elevator sound came to my ears and like it was an instinct, I turned my head to it. Zoro came out rushing and loosening his tie. He checked his own card and saw me as he was about to run to the exit.

"Ah, I thought you left… Robin said…", he said panting.

"Same here. I thought you left long before me. I'm sorry I didn't call you. I stayed a bit with Robin so she can give me some info."

"I also had a bit more work to do, sorry. We—", he stopped and like we both felt it, someone was watching us. The reception girl behind us watched like she was enjoying the best soap opera on TV. We tried to make excuses and bow many times but she just giggled. Running out was the best idea!

"Wow, what a crazy day.", I sat in the car and let out a sigh of relief. So many things happened in one day, I almost forgot how it was to work in a large company. I was sleepy so I closed my eyes a bit. Then, on my lips was pressed something very soft and nice. It didn't take me long to realize that Zoro was kissing me so I just kept my eyes closed and enjoyed the kiss. His tongue was softening my lips, the scent of his cologne streaming from his loosened shirt right into my nostrils and his hands trailing over my arms and making their way to the back of my neck.

"I can't wait to receive your 'punishment'.", he said after parting from the passionate kiss. Of course, when it comes to me and kinky stuff, he never forgets.

"You will have to wait until we reach the bedroom.", I said planting a little soft kiss on his lips. Zoro bit his lower lip and went back to his seat.

We came back home with the same speed we went to work in the morning – Zoro, driving like a maniac.

'_Yup, he really is a maniac… a sex maniac.'_, I thought to myself after he rushed the car in the parking lot under our building. We entered the elevator by holding hands but then split as each of us went to its own apartment.

'_It was a busy day…',_ I sighed putting the briefcase of my desk, _'Zoro may seem like a sex freak so I'll test him…'_, I thought making up the plan to see if Zoro cares for me. After some time, he came in my apartment, just when I was getting some lunch ready for us. He was in the living room when I took a pot to put it on the counter. I screamed in "pain" and grabbed my stomach. Zoro immediately rushed to me.

"Hey, [y/n], are you all right? What's the matter?! Hey, keep it together!", he yelled, holding me.

I winced in "pain", holding Zoro's shirt tightly. Without second thinking he carried me and put me on the bed. He held my hand and looked really worried. But, I can't blow my cover just now.

"Where does it hurt? Should I call the doctor? Do you have any painkillers?"

"I don't need it…. As long as you're here…", I said.

"Don't be stupid! I will always be there for you but you need to take some medications."

"Then… the pills doctor gave me are here, in the drawer.", I pointed at the nightstand beside the bed. Zoro nodded, gave me a pill and rushed to bring me water. He was starting to convince me.

"Zoro… I'm sorry… We should enjoy now, together, in bed… and yet I…", I could've almost bring myself to tears.

"Don't be stupid! We could always make love, it's you who I care the most – you and your health. You were right… we shouldn't had sex this morning and I didn't have to be that rough that night you called me… it's all my fault.", he was starting to blame himself and it was just sad to watch. I went to far…

I put the pill and water on the nightstand and sat up. Zoro started to panic but I stopped him.

"It's okay… I'm sorry… this was all so stupid of me. I'm really fine.", I hugged kneeling Zoro, "I shamelessly played a game on you to see if you just care about sex. I'm sorry, I will never do this again…", I was scared. Every minute I expected Zoro to push me and run away. But instead, he lifted his arms and hugged me back. He came up and kissed me, pushing me back on the bed.

"You dirty little fox.", he said grinning widely, "You got me there. I will make sure to punish you for that.", then he came down and hugged me again, "I was scared… just now. The last thing you have to worry is that I'll use you like you're some cheap woman. I love you, [y/n]. I may not seem like that type of a guy but my feelings for you are true. I would never do that to you, I want you to know that."

I hugged him back and we stayed silent for some time until Zoro first broke the hug and placed himself above me, smiling cheeky again.

"All that is true but…", I looked surprised at him, "that doesn't change the fact that you will be punished.", his smile widen and made me smile too.

"Not so fast!", I pushed and flipped him over so that I was the one on top, "I first have to punish you for taking me to work late. You can't forget that, honey."

"Heh, I'll wait for my turn.", he said, grinning wide. I came down and kissed him, slowly pulling up his shirt.

Bit by bit, we took off our clothes and went under the covers. I gave my all to make the "punishment" perfect and the looks on Zoro's face convinced me that I did a great job. All the teasing was a real punishment for him but he had to bear with it and not complain. He complimented my "riding" many times which made me work harder and make him moan louder with his godly sexy voice.

We ended panting crazy but just when I thought I can have a break for intense sex… I was wrong. After he "rested", Zoro climbed on top of me, started off with lovely kisses on my back but as soon as he spread my legs, my "punishment" began. I can't say I didn't like it – it was perfect of course – so perfect it made my head all messed up and full of ecstasy. Like the previous sex didn't happen, my body was building up pleasure. All the moaning, panting and calling each other's names seemed so natural and became more instinctively for both of us. Zoro wasn't naïve, he also knew how to tease me and he did it all in the right moment – when I wanted he wouldn't give it but I was helpless and just full of desire and sweet feeling of lust that I couldn't argue with him.

He came to my ear and stayed like that for few moments, "I'll make you come like you never did before. I'll make you lose your mind.", and with that he went in again.

The energy and pleasure started building up, so much that I almost ripped off a pillow. Still on my knees, Zoro gripped my hips more, going in deeper. I swear I shouted his name over a thousand times.

"Come on now, be a good girl… and come for me.", his whisper just made it worse for me – I gripped the pillow more making my nails hurt. Zoro, still working in a perfect tempo, lifted my chin with few of his fingers, kissing and biting my earlobe along the way.

I couldn't help it anymore – one last moan and one last shout of Zoro's name were the signs I was at my end. I bumped my face on the pillow, feeling warm product hitting me on the butt and the lower back. My legs went numb, I couldn't go anymore.

"Heh, how was it? Did you enjoyed your punishment?", Zoro asked, lying beside me. I could barely open my eyes.

"You damn maniac…", was the only thing I could say before closing my eyes again.

"I love you too.", Zoro said and kissed me on the forehead. After that, fully exhausted, I fell asleep on a poor pillow I held so hard few moments ago.

…

I woke up by the nice smell of food and clatter in the kitchen. I went to take a shower before discovering that Zoro cooked wonderful meals for us.

"Good morning, beautiful.", he said placing two plates on the countertop.

"What morning? It's already night.", I said but he only smiled at me. Zoro seemed so happy, I almost couldn't recognize him. He brought his laptop and put on his glasses. I must admit, he looked cute.

"I worked a little while you were asleep and now I'm preparing dinner for us. By the way, you look really great.", he complimented me. I put on some light clothes after the shower but it was a compliment from Zoro, so I didn't mind.

"Thank you.", I came and kissed him quickly.

We sat and ate. After that, Zoro showed me his work and we immediately became fully focused on it. We were so into those numbers and different papers that time just flew by. It was already far past midnight and time for bed. However, I wasn't sleepy, unlike him who went straight to bed after a shower. I was left working until the very late hours.

…

Days passed, I got a hang of my job and was working perfectly once again. Being a head-chief in the morning shift was hard but I managed it by coming early every morning and having focus on things I was doing. Zoro and I still kept our relationship a secret and Sanji helped us in that too by staying silent and not mentioning anything about us.

It was the one night when Zoro surprised me in the middle of our typing.

"Why don't we go out tonight?", he said, making me lift my head up to him. We were at his apartment so he leaned back on a chair at the dining table and took off his glasses, "Come on, let's relax a little from this annoying work.", I sighed and leaned on my chair.

"Well, I guess we can take a break from all this. Honestly, I never thought you would ask something like that. I would like to go out with you.", I smiled and stood up, closing my laptop after saving the file. I went to my apartment to change the clothes for our little date.

'_Zoro said we're going to a bar so I don't need to look for anything elegant…'_, I thought finding some nice clothes combination. Zoro came in just when I was about to finish my make-up. We went down to the parking lot and drove ourselves to that "awesome bar" Zoro recommended.

It wasn't to far away, located in the nice neighborhood, looking nice, steady and a little bit old. Nice and calming jazz music could be heard from the outside. Zoro and I entered in a calm but full of people bar and found our seats by the counter. Zoro told me it was his friends' bar so we could maybe get some discounts.

"How do you like it?", Zoro said in my ear.

"It's really nice and peaceful. I really like it.", I told him back.

On the stage a tall guy with an afro played piano in the company of three other guys who played a trumpet, drums and a contrabass. The music they were producing was amazing. It calmed me down but also gave me energy.

"Yo, Zoro. You finally decided to pay us a visit, huh?", a voice came. It was from a large guy behind the counter. He was tall and massive, wiping a little delicate glass with his large hands.

"Yo! Tonight's special because I'm not alone.", said Zoro and looked at me, making me blush. The bartender looked at me and smiled. I slightly nodded, "[y/n], this is my friend and an owner of this bar, Franky. Franky, this is my girlfriend, [y/n]."

"_D-domo_.", I bowed a little in the greeting.

"Oooh, so you decided to settle down, eh? Nice to meet you, little lady. Please take care of our little Zoro. And don't get it wrong, Zoro, I'm not the only owner."

"Aah, _gomen_, I forgot. [y/n], you see that guy playing the piano.", Zoro pointed and I turned my head to the direction where afro guy was playing wonderful melody, "He's name's Brook. He and Franky opened this bar together."

"That's right.", Franky said and I looked at him, "Brook's in charge for nice music and I'm here to give the customers the best drinks. So, speaking of which, here's some nice cocktail for the lady and fresh beer for the tough green-head, on the house!"

"Stop calling me that! But thanks."

"Thank you.", I said and took the lovely drink.

"So, what's the theme for this night?", Zoro asked Franky.

"Jazz night. Some nice people came with prepared songs. You're gonna love it.", said Franky. The song ended and Brook, the pianist, stood up and came to the microphone.

"Ladies and gentleman, thank you all for coming. For tonight, we prepared many nice songs for you. We have many guests for you to enjoy in their great singing and performance. So, without further ado, we begin with our first song for the night.", he said and the crowd rewarded with the applause. Lights went off, instruments were preparing and footsteps came to the front of the stage.

Piano started with a nice melody and lights went on again to reveal the stage. I was surprised at the singer and his wonderful voice spreading through the bar. I looked at Zoro but he had a disgusting look on his face.

The wonderful singer was Sanji, my colleague and great friend. He sang with the voice I didn't know he had. Jazz suited him and his personality. A guy with saxophone joined and made Sanji's song even better. Sanji's song left me speechless. He nailed every tone in his gentleman-like song. I was really impressed. I got a feeling his voice and the song reached the people because no one took their eyes off the stage and Sanji. Dressed in elegant black jazz suit, Sanji was truly a star on that stage. The song was perfect and really described him. It was supposed to be 3 minute long but, for me, it seemed like it was longer, just because it was perfect and wonderful. Right before the end, he received a huge applause that lasted until he got off the stage. People sent ovations, standing up for him. Sanji seemed to notice me so he came directly to the counter, leaving the stage for the next performer.

"[y/n]-san, I never thought I would see you here.", then he looked behind me, at Zoro, and made a same disgusting expression, "As I thought…", he mumbled but quickly came back to me and smiled.

"Sanji, you were amazing there. I didn't know you sing.", I said and he blushed.

"Well, aside of cooking, singing is a nice thing to let out some steam after a hard day in the office. I am glad you enjoyed.", I nodded, "By the way…", he again looked behind me, at Zoro, "I certainly never expected you here. This is not a place for a muscle head like you. You should go home; this place doesn't need the stupidity you're spreading."

"You're the one to talk… You should just quit the job in the company and polish your singing."

"What did you say, green gorilla?!", Sanji growled.

"You wanna go, singing brow?!", and Zoro followed.

"Maa, maa! Quit it, you two. This is a nice place so no fighting.", I interfered.

"That's right! If you want to fight, take it outside. I won't let you ruin my bar.", Franky added.

They both calmed down and Sanji joined us in drinking. Franky prepared a nice martini for him that he drank in chat with me.

"Well, it was nice talking to you, [y/n]-san, but I need to go now. I need to prepare myself for another song. I hope you'll like this one too. And for you, moss-head…", Zoro finally lifted his head to Sanji, "you better take care of [y/n]-san or I'll kick your ass.", Sanji said with a grin and Zoro followed.

"You just worry about your precious singing and leave her to me. I promise that I'll treasure her.", they exchange electrifying gazes before Sanji went backstage. I was really glad Zoro said something like that. It only made me love him more.

Sanji's next song was a huge hit too. He again came to us but we already had to leave.

"It was a pleasure seeing you here, [y/n]-san.", said Sanji and kissed my hand.

"I enjoyed your singing. I'm glad I discovered another side of you. Well, see you tomorrow a work.", Sanji blushed at my words but smiled quickly after, greeting us out.

"That was great. Thanks for taking me here.", I said to Zoro when we exited the bar.

"Anytime.", he said with a smile.

"Araa, [y/n] and Zoro?", a familiar voice came behind us. We immediately turn around to see Robin, still in her office wear, looking surprised at us.

"R-Robin? We were just…", I started but she laughed so I couldn't finish.

"Fufufu, you don't have to say anything.", she came closer to us, "If it's me, you don't have to hide it, I support you. I think you make a cute couple.", she said, making me blush hard, "But I really didn't expect to see you here."

"Yeah, we already heard that… couple of times by now.", said Zoro, coming closer to me.

"Well, I always stop by the bar after work, but I never saw you. I heard it's 'the Jazz night' tonight. You seem like you're heading home. I wish you the best.", she kept her smile and went in the bar. Zoro told me that Robin and Franky are old friends but I thought different.

"We're progressing in revealing our relationship... Not bad…", said Zoro offering his hand. I took it and we went to the parking across the street, "Shitty blonde knows, Franky and now Robin know too… next are those idiots at work."

"It's going to work out somehow. We'll tell them eventually.", I smiled and came closer to Zoro to feel some of his warmth as it began to seem rather chilly for a autumn night.

…

"Whaaaat?! You and Zoro are together?!", Nami yelled after she dragged me to the vending machines in the "break area" at our office.

"It was Robin, was it?", I figured it out and took a sigh, "Yes, we're together… for almost 2 months, I think.", I expected a wave of Nami's yelling to come.

"WHAT?! TWO MONTHS?! AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME ANYTHING?!", and it came. I swear the others in the office heard us, she was too loud.

"Sorry, I was planning to but I was nervous and then got sick…"

"It's fine! Just… it was so sudden. When Robin told me…", she seemed like falling in despair.

"I'm sorry…", I didn't know what else to say.

…

Soon after Nami found out, the whole company knew it. Boss called me in the office when the rumor spread but instead of scolding me, he wished me luck. I was left speechless in front of the laughing happy boss Akagami. And so, everywhere I went, people would smile at me, wishing me luck and happiness but on the other side, there were those who would shoot me with looks and gossip behind my back. People would gossip for days about Zoro and me, giggle when they see us walking together and congratulate us. The company became like a high school. Zoro didn't mind all that but I was surely different – I couldn't stand the looks and all those talk behind my back. I was embarrassed.

All that chatter stopped soon after I stopped paying attention to it – I was no longer ashamed, people talking around about us were annoying so I stopped bothering and focused on work.

…

November came and the cold weather with it. I was again coming back tired from work but it seemed different than before because now I had Zoro with me. We spent so much time together that it was awful to part at work and act decent. When we come back home, we would always have lunch together, sometimes to go bed and "have fun" and work together on our laptops. The place didn't matter, we were happy being close to each other.

One day, I was on a break with Nami and others when I lazily scrolled through the calendar on my phone. Then, I noticed one specific date marked red. If I haven't seen it then, I would totally forget… Zoro's birthday was coming!

I began to panic, asking Nami for advice but she began to calculate prices of presents, decorations, cake, etc. I had to come up with some plan. I was thinking about it the whole day but couldn't get any nice ideas. I asked many people but no one knew Zoro much to tell me what would he like for his birthday.

"If it's that marimo… I would buy him a jar, fill it with water and make it his new home.", Sanji said. I wasn't really in the mood for insults of Zoro.

Asking Nami again failed because she was still calculating the birthday prices.

"Why don't you throw him a surprise party?", asked Ace who brought some paper from his department. I was just about to leave as my shift ended. I thought the party was a brilliant idea and Ace was the right guy to help me.

"I need your help. Ask him to change shifts on that day with you. You're working in the afternoon so just make something up and ask him to work in your place and you come in the morning. That way, he will come home late and by then we will have everything ready."

"That's awesome! I'll ask him. Zoro's still downstairs, so I'll take the opportunity. Don't worry; I'll keep it a secret from everyone. [y/n], you're awesome!", and with that Ace ran back to his office.

I met Zoro in the reception hall so that we can go back home together.

"Just now, Ace asked me to do his shift on Friday.", said Zoro after he checked his card.

"Really? That means you'll go to work in the afternoon?", I pretend to be sad.

"Yeah… it sucks, I'm sorry, but he said he has an appointment with a doctor."

That was the worst lie he could've come up with but it seemed like Zoro totally bought it. He seemed like he forgot about his own birthday. I wasn't mentioning it either.

That Friday came fast and it was super busy for me. Aside from work, I had to prepare the party and invite people. Nami was a great help with it but so was Ace. He felt responsible so he took the "buying groceries and other stuff" job to himself. Everyone was keeping this a secret from Zoro which made me at ease a bit.

Just when I was about to leave the company with Ace, we met Zoro at the reception desk. We both kept it cool and acted as natural as possible around the birthday boy.

Ace and I met Sanji and Nami in town which was perfect. We had two cars, bought a lot of stuff and were ready to transform Zoro's apartment into a party place. As expected, Zoro left the key under the big pot by his door. For the other three, it was the first time coming in Zoro's home so they were surprised how clean and neat it was, knowing that Zoro can be both strict and loud at the times.

"Okay, we have drinks for the whole night.", said Nami pulling out the bottles.

"I'll go ahead and start with the food.", said Sanji and went straight to the kitchen.

"I'll wrap these presents and Ace… you can just relax after carrying all the bags.", I said making Ace relax on the sofa, "Okay guys, let's make this one awesome party!"

* * *

_To be continued..._


	15. Chapter 15

_**MERRY (BELATED) CHRISTMAS (AND ALSO HAPPY NEW YEAR... THAT'S YET TO COME)!** I finally got to finish this chapter before the New Year! yaaay *happy dance* When you read it, you'll get it why I wanted to publish it before NY ^^ So, let' move on!_

_**Summary from the last chapter**: You woke up one your "first day at work" but Zoro wouldn't let you go out of the bed and wanted "a quick one". You fell for it and ended up being late for work. You said to Zoro he'll receive him punishment when you get back home. Also, Zoro seemed to you like he's just thinking about sex and not your feelings so you "tested" him and found out that he really cares about you but also enjoys making love with you. So after you told him you tested him he decided to punish you. Yup, you both enjoyed your dirty punishments but the real deal comes now - It was Zoro's birthday! You came up with a plan and had your colleagues help you. Is the surprise party really Zoro's thing?_

* * *

One thing that I always hated about birthdays and other celebrations was wrapping presents. I would always end up with wrinkled paper and sticky tape all over me. Thankfully, now I had help – Nami was doing awesome with all the boxes and stupid sticky tape I cursed at dozen of times. Nami "tutored" me how to properly wrap the present but I would always fail at it.

"Ace, I saw we're missing wine.", Nami frowned at him.

"Alright, I'll go and buy it! Just don't get angry.", Ace said and Nami became happy again. She also wanted to go, to make sure they buy a nice quality wine with low price.

"I think we would be back in an hour. See ya!", she said and went out with Ace. I went and put the presents in Zoro's little storage room, away from looks.

Sanji was still in the kitchen, working hard on the birthday dinner. I've done all my work so I was free to help Sanji.

"Do you need some help around that?", I asked, approaching him from the side.

"Ah, no. There's no need for [y/n]-san to get her lovely hands dirty in the kitchen.", he said, looking through the drawers.

"Oh, come on, I've already cooked in this kitchen and you seem like you're lost. Tell me what you need and I'll gladly help. After all, we're preparing all this for Zoro."

"Yeah, I almost forgot it was for him. I really don't want you—"

"Stop it, Sanji! Just tell me what to do.", I raised my voice a bit. Sanji sighed and gave up of messing up the drawers and searching.

"Well, right now, I need some spices. Basil would be perfect.", he said and went back to the stove. Now I needed to remember if Zoro has basil in his kitchen.

"Basil… basil… I think it's here.", I opened one cupboard and found some useful spices there. Sanji was thrilled about it and used most of them for many different meals.

Sanji cooked and I assisted. It was fun cooking with someone – we had a great time with lots of laughs.

"Nee, [y/n]-san…", Sanji became serious all of the sudden, "I kind of feel awful for asking but…. How is your relationship with him? Are you happy?", Sanji asked, blushing a little. He made me blush too. Sanji was the first of the colleagues to find out that Zoro and I are dating but I never actually talked to him about the relationship. It was uncomfortable, alright…

We stood in silence for some time but I had to break it and answer.

"The truth is… I can't be happier. Zoro is, and will be, everything I ever needed. It's true he seems like a stiff and emotionless guy… but he's really lovable and caring.", I said, smiling at the little bottle of dill I was holding in my hands. Happiness and cozy feeling was streaming all over my body, "I love him… I really do. I never thought that this will happen to me and that I'll meet someone like him, who would care and do so much for me. I'm really thankful I met him.", I said looking up at Sanji. He immediately turned his head to the pan where he prepared some nice and delicious meat.

"I-I see…", he took a pause but smiled at me after, "I'm really glad you're happy, [y/n]-san. It really makes me happy too that you found happiness. You might've heard this but, I really wish you the best."

"Thank you, Sanji.", I smiled and looked at his peaceful face. It looked somehow worried but I had belief in his words. I know all those stuff happened in the past and they weren't easy to get over, but having Sanji's support meant so much to me.

Our staring in each other faces was cut by the smell of burnt meat. We quickly went back to cooking, pouring oil and lowering the stove temperature. We were glad smoke didn't spread all over the apartment but I still went and opened the sliding living room window. I went out on the terrace to breathe in the fresh autumn air. Zoro's terrace was going all the way to his bedroom, connecting those two rooms. I took a little stroll on the terrace and looked through the bedroom window. I saw the bed and remembered all those sweet times I spent with Zoro there. Even though I knew he was coming back tonight, I missed him. I wanted to be with him, to hug and kiss him. I felt unbelievably lonely in that moment.

"[y/n]-san, you will catch a cold standing out here. Also, I need your help again. I can't find a measure cup.", Sanji said, peeking out the living room. I went back in and helped him in further cooking.

…

We cooked and baked. Many wonderful meals were soon placed on the tables. All that was left was a chocolate cake that was nicely baking in the oven. Time literally flew as we were having so much fun in the kitchen. Nami and Ace came back with lots of drinks and snacks. They also brought more guests along the way. Luffy and Vivi came with them, bringing more presents that I stored in the secret room, along with the others. Luffy literally screamed at the food Sanji and I prepared and it was hard pulling him away from eating it. His stomach still growled loud so Sanji had to at least give him some leftovers he found in Zoro's fridge.

As time passes, more and more guests arrived. This time, Usopp came with the young doctor Chopper who cut my stitches. It was a great surprise for me when the sweet and cute medical student arrived, blushing hard as he was the youngest in the group. With few drinks, snacks and Luffy's jokes he became more natural and funny.

The afternoon shift at the company is ending at 8PM and as that time was slowly arriving, I became more and more nervous. To cool myself down, Nami suggested that we go try some clothes on at my apartment. She and Vivi dragged me out of the crowd and in my apartment.

"Thank you for this, girls.", I said, my stomach hurting from nervousness.

"Hey, don't worry a bit. We're here for you.", Nami said going in front of me and into my room.

"Nami-san is right – we're all here to help you and also, I know Zoro-san will love the surprise party. You put a lot of effort in the whole organization, there's no way he will hate it.", Vivi said patting me on the shoulder.

"Mhm, that's absolutely right. If he hates it, I swear I'll push his off this building.", Nami said and made us all laugh.

Their words made me less nervous. I hoped for Zoro to like the party, even though he would probably prefer a calmer atmosphere. Nami, Vivi and I went to trying on different clothes for the party. Nami pulled out some of my dresses and after long time of thinking finally picked the one she liked. All that trying out dresses and messing around made us forget about the party and the worries. I felt much calmer and secure – I also knew Zoro would appreciate all that we've done for him.

When we came back to the "party apartment" it was much louder and crowded – everyone was all over the place, goofing around and laughing. Franky and Brook arrived which made the atmosphere lighter and merrier. Song was spreading all over the place with Brook and Luffy singing happily.

The moment I looked at the clock, it was already 7:33PM. I started to panic but decided to call Robin – she was the last piece of this plan. I went to Zoro's bedroom and dialed her office desk number.

"_Hello, Robin speaking.",_ she answered.

"Robin, it's me, [y/n].", I said, still feeling nervous. And that panic was affecting my voice too.

"_[y/n]? Is there something wrong? It's unusual for you to call me on the desk number."_

"I know. It's just… Listen, you probably heard we're organizing a surprise party for Zoro tonight, right?"

"_Oh, yes. I heard it from Nami. Is everything okay with the party? Do you need something from me?"_

"Actally, yes. I'm calling you for help. I need you to come with Zoro here, at his apartment when your shift is over, okay?"

"_Oh, right, I heard he was doing the afternoon shift today. Tell me, what do you need me to do?"_

"Okay, here's the plan…", and I explained to her all the things she needs to do – come with Zoro to his home and not telling him anything about the party. I know Robin's smart so she'll come up with the perfect plan to tag with Zoro.

"_All right, I understand the situation. I'll do my best and come with Zoro fast after we end our shift."_, she said.

"Thank you; I really needed your help there. Also, message me when you arrive at the building so that we can all prepare the place for the surprise.", she agreed and we ended the call. Right after I hung up the call, Sanji knocked one the door, asking if everything's okay.

"Everything is going awesome. I just completed the plan with Robin and all we need is to wait for her and the birthday boy to arrive.", I said with a smile, exiting the room and joining the lively crowd in the living room. We all had so much fun that we forgot about the time all until my phone rang and the living room table. In that moment everyone went silent and I quickly rushed to check the message.

"It's from Robin. She says 'We've just parked the car. Everyone, good luck with hiding and hurry.'", I read the message and everyone started running all over the place. I previously said Robin to prevent Zoro from checking the flower pot that is by his door – I used that spare key to lock us in the apartment so that Zoro wouldn't suspect anything. Ace and Luffy took confetti and kneeled by the door, Sanji went to the kitchen with Usopp and Chopper, Nami and Vivi behind the sofa, and I don't know where the other two went as I ran to the storage room by myself. Ace hit the last switch off and we were ready. I left the door of the room slightly open, to hear when he comes in but I could barely hear anything as my heard was racing I though everyone could hear it. I was beginning to feel nervous again. I held my chest like I was guarding my heart not to escape.

The click in the doorknob froze me. I couldn't hear my heart racing anymore; I only focused on the sound of the front door. I opened the storage room's door more, preparing myself to jump out.

"Like I said— Huh? Did the bulb die?", it was Zoro's voice as he was trying to turn the lights on.

"**SURPRISE**!", lights were turned on and the confetti flew on Zoro. Everyone came out of their hiding places, clapping and laughing at Zoro's surprised face.

"W-What is this?", Zoro asked, still keeping on the cute surprised face.

"It's your birthday party, idiot.", Sanji said, leaning on the little wardrobe in the hall.

"You didn't think we forgot about it?", Robin asked behind him.

"But, we would forget if it wasn't for [y/n].", Nami said, coming to the front. I stood in the hall, near the bathroom door, behind the crowd. I could see Zoro looking around for me but as soon as the others moved, he looked at me and smiled. I smiled back, blushing a bit.

"Come on now, Zoro. Let's eat! Sanji prepared so much!", Luffy became hyped and Ace tried to calm him down.

"Ma, first come in and then we'll party.", Sanji said and went to the kitchen to serve the food and drinks. Everyone went with him, leaving Zoro and me alone in the little hallway.

"You did all this?", he asked, letting down his briefcase and jacket.

"Well I… I wouldn't succeed if it wasn't for all the others. They all helped me a lot.", I said, still standing in one place while Zoro was coming closer to me. He grabbed my hands and came closer to my face.

"Thank you…", he whispered but just as we were about to kiss, the others shouted "Wooo, save that after we go home!". We forgot about the others and the fact that the hallway and the place we were standing at was totally visible from the living room. We parted quickly and went to the living room, to join the others for delicious food and drinking.

"Yeah! Since it's Friday we can drink and not care about tomorrow!", Sanji started, "But first…", he grabbed my hand and pulled me up of the sofa, "[y/n]-san will hold a nice speech for our moss-head colleague and friend here."

I was put in such uncomfortable position. Everyone clapped and shouted but I didn't have any smart speech. I looked at Zoro – he was smiling, forming a nice a peaceful face that relaxed me.

"Umm… I didn't prepare any speech so I'll just say the first things that come to my mind. Umm… You all know that I moved to this town after I got the job at the company… and, I'll be honest, I never thought that I would be accepted by you guys and yet celebrate the birthday of my first neighbor and the guy I liked so much, for so long. Zoro is a magnificent person. It's true he can be hot-headed at the times… but he is really one of a kind – kind neighbor, helping colleague, reliable friend… and wonderful boyfriend. And because he is all this I mentioned, I wouldn't wish him any less than the greatest happiness. Happy Birthday, Zoro."

After my little speech came a loud applause and cheering. Zoro stood up and came to me, wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed me, in front of everyone. The cheering got louder and the kiss lasted.

"Hey, go to the room!", Usopp shouted and everyone approved. Zoro broke the kiss and turned to the guests, still keeping his arm on my waist.

"I want to thank you all for doing this for me. I honestly forgot about my own birthday with all that work in the company but you guys just went on and prepared the party for me. Thank you all for coming, I really appreciate it.", then he turned to me, "And thank you again, [y/n]. I love you.", he kissed me again and the others gone wild, shouting and cheering, "Now, let's party! _KANPAI_!"

"_**KANPAI**_!", the others shouted back and we all raised our glasses. Zoro kissed me on the forehead again and we sat down with the others.

"Now, we sing!", said Brook and pulled his violin out of nowhere.

We sang and danced, laughed a lot and had a really great time. After that, Nami, Sanji and Ace helped me with the cake and presents. We turned the lights off, they gave me the cake with lit candles and we all san the birthday song. It was cute and funny seeing Zoro blow the candles and even funnier when we put the frosting on his face. Sanji made some spare so we didn't ruin the perfect cake. After the cake came the presents – Zoro got a lot of stuff – T-shirts, ties, books, DVDs, sweets, quality sake and even underwear. Then, everyone looked at me. I pulled the wrapped present behind my back. It was wrapped crappy but it didn't matter because Zoro took off the paper quickly, revealing my present – it was a new business briefcase. He again stood up and came to me, kissing me fully on the lips.

After all of that came more fun, more drinking and eating, more singing and dancing. Zoro and I sat on the sofa, holding hands, while the others enjoyed themselves.

"You did great with the party. It's really fun and everyone's enjoying it.", Zoro said to my ear.

"Thanks. It was all for you.", I said to his ear.

"Is the briefcase really my present?", he asked, coming closer to me.

"You know there will be the part two, as soon as we hit the bedroom.", I said and he smiled, kissing me on the forehead.

"Hey, Zoro, look!", shouted Luffy and made a funny face. We all laughed to his jokes and the show he was putting on.

…

The party lasted late in the night and soon after 1AM, one by one, the guests were leaving. First left Chopper and Usopp, then Ace, Vivi and Luffy and Robin left with Franky and Brook. Nami was still drinking, mumbling and laughing at her own jokes. After another wine bottle she left empty, Sanji agreed to drive her home.

"I would like to stay and help you clean up this mess but I can't let Nami-san take any more alcohol. Sorry."

"It's okay, you just take her home safely and don't worry about the mess, we'll clean it tomorrow.", I said, opening the door for Sanji. He carried Nami bridal style – she fell asleep fast.

"Well, I wish you good night, it was a great party."

"Thank you for coming. Good night! Drive safely.", I said greeting them out with Zoro behind me, "Wow, it sure is a mess…", I said after coming back inside and looking around the living room and kitchen. I suddenly felt arms wrapping around my waist and kisses being planted on the back of my neck.

"You said we'll clean it tomorrow… and I'm still waiting for the second part of my present.", Zoro said, biting my earlobe.

"Well, darling, I'm ready to give you your present. Would you like the bedroom or the living room?"

"Or the kitchen?", he added, turning me to face him.

We kissed in the middle of the hallway, my fingers working on his shirt and unbuttoning it. His hand went from my butt up to my shoulders, slowly pulling down the straps. No one broke the kiss, regardless of the slow undressing we did to each other. The rest of the play we continued in the bedroom. Turning all the lights off, we were left in the dark and silent room. Zoro laid me on the pillows and came above me, looking me straight in the eyes. The big full moon was placed high in the clear sky of the chilly autumn night and it was our only light. We can't remember how many times we used the lovely light of the moon to stare at each other, remembering that view before us. I know that every time, when the moonlight would shine through the window, Zoro's body became more attractive to me. All the muscles were more visible and would always seem so precious and sweet. It was the magic of the moonlight.

"I expect this to be sweet, not like that sexy and tempting punishment.", Zoro said, ribbing his thumb on the edge of my underwear.

"Don't worry, this will be more sweeter that your birthday cake.", I said, my hands trailing over his arms and shoulders, feeling every slight curve and every tight muscle there was.

"Oooh, that cake was damn tasty.", he said, grinning to the though.

"I know…", I added and pulled him into a kiss.

And it was tasty and sweet – we made such a sweet love that I would surely remember for the rest of my life. It was gentle, slow and godly. I swear that, in the orgasm, I touched Heaven and felt that sweetness. Zoro didn't mind the slow tempo. In fact, he used it pretty well – sliding in and out perfectly, feeling that inner hot skin more precisely than in the times he would go fast. And as it for me – I can bet on my head I had reached the climax more than once. Like I said, it was godly.

"In the end, it really was sweeter than the cake.", Zoro said, after the pause he took. He again came quite well on my stomach, falling on the pillows exhausted.

"I told you… I'm glad you liked your present.", I said, snuggling closer to him.

"It was the best present of all. I love you.", he said and kissed me on the head.

"I love you too.", I replied nuzzling to his chest. Zoro pulled the blanket over us, hugged me and gave a little goodnight kiss on the forehead.

…

The period that came was quite deadly for us – December. And in our company December meant trouble and more work than ever. The whole month was full of arrangements for ski trips, mountains, field trips and the most horrible – Christmas holiday trips. The whole company was at uproar – everyone was running, phones wouldn't stop ringing; clients wouldn't stop coming and making appointments. In just a week, I had over 10 clients who wanted me to give them recommendations and best winter arrangements. All of them went successfully on their trip and I was left almost broken, lacking of sleep and with bags under my eyes. My desk phone would ring non-stop with people calling me to meetings and those who want information. Our department, which is in charge for analysis and keeping the information about the wanted traveling places, now discarded that – we were all in charge of dealing with clients who want to go somewhere for Christmas.

"Waaah, I want to go to a luxury resort for Christmas.", I whined, bumping my head on the desk after I ended a call with a client.

"You know there's no rest for us in this time of a year. We even work on Saturdays…", Sanji said brining me some papers, "Here are the calls that assigned you. They are all scheduled meetings for the next week.", I sat up and took the papers.

"Thanks… How are you doing?", I asked him, barely keeping my eyes open.

"I'm the same. I have almost twice as much as you. My phone will die of how much it rings.", and then his cell phone rang. It was a client so Sanji had to excuse himself. I sighed and looked through the papers – names were everywhere, my eyes were spinning. I only wanted to go home and sleep because working overtime was seriously killing me.

And as for Zoro… we could barely see each other. On the work we couldn't and at home we would be tired for anything so we would just eat and sleep and get up in the morning for work. It was all so shitty!

…

"I brought you to this meeting to discuss with you your schedule for the next days. As you all know, Christmas is coming and New Year is right after it. I know all of you want to be free for those days but we have so many arranged trips, meetings and calls that we just can't take even a slight break.", said boss Shanks on the Saturday meeting, "I know, it's sad and not great at all but we have to do like that. Now, I'll start with each department and tell you the plan of the shifts and people who will be in them."

I was really praying the boss will put me off on Christmas Eve or even Christmas Day. I just wanted to be with Zoro and spend that time with him.

'_But… what if Zoro can't be free on that day? There's no meaning if I'm alone on Christmas…',_ I was starting to fall into despair but when boss started speaking about Zoro's department I regain all the focus.

"So, now we come to you, Zoro. As the chief of the department, I absolutely need you to be here on Christmas. You are the main in charge and I won't let you off. I don't accept any excuses either. You'll be working here even in the afternoon.", said the boss and I immediately felt down.

I looked at Zoro across the table – he was listening carefully, looking like a soldier that was receiving orders, he wasn't giving in. When the boss finished with him, Zoro looked at me and made a sad expression on his face and I followed. I looked down in my hands on my lap. I held them together, controlling myself not to burst into crying. I again became fully focused when the boss called my name.

"[y/n], you will be needed on Christmas day, starting right in the morning shift. The work time is same as on the regular days – from 8 o' clock in the morning until 2 in the afternoon. I hope you understand.", he said looking me in the eyes.

"Yes, Sir.", I replied and nodded. Boss moved on to the other colleagues. I didn't bother to listen. Nothing worked out for me.

"Sir, may I ask.", Robin, sitting next to me, spoke up, "I couldn't dare to notice, you didn't set anyone that is in the afternoon shift to work on Christmas Eve.", boss Akagami laughed which made everyone to jump a little in their seats.

"Well, of course I didn't. Christmas Eve is the moment for spending time together with family and the loved ones. I am sorry some of you must work on Christmas Day so I gave you the opportunity to be with your close ones on the Eve.", he kept his goofy smile on. I immediately looked at Zoro and he looked at me. We exchanged smiles which made me calmer.

'_At least we will be together then… Now I can't wait.'_, I thought and smiled wider.

The meeting ended and we all went back to work, some with their smiles on and some with not.

…

And like magic, that deadly day before Christmas came. We still had piles of work, phones ringing, clients coming and going. The only difference that was in the company was that we all worked in the morning shift which made work somehow easier and dealing with clients less stressful. I also got an invitation to Chopper's birthday party and even with all the work I still accepted it. So, after work, Zoro and I dropped by his house and stayed a little. After the wonderful cake, we excused ourselves – we were both to tired to stay for the whole thing. We just came home and dropped "dead" on the sofa.

As for our Christmas Eve… somehow we managed to wake up just in time to prepare some food and drinks.

"Cheers!", we both said hitting our glasses with nice champagne.

"I can't believe we even have the tree decorated", said Zoro, looking at the big Christmas tree in the corner of his living room.

"Yeah, I somehow gathered the strength to decorate it these last few days. I even decorated the little one in my apartment.", I sighed.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that trouble. I didn't even bother to decorate these previous years. It was always somehow decorated so I just put it in the storage room and get it out when needed."

"Yeah, I saw… Candy canes were all broken and you're glad the tree isn't real or it wouldn't have anything on it by now. You were really lazy.", I pouted at him.

"Like I care…", he said and took a sip of his champagne. I had to hit him!

"Where's your Christmas spirit?!", I yelled.

"W-what? I'm not a kid…", he answered so simple. I sighed and shook my head; I couldn't bother with him on that topic, "But now…", he whispered and came closer to me, "… I have you… So, I can be full of any kind of spirit you ask me for.", he said, kissing my neck which gave me shivers.

"Then, let's see that spirit of yours. What is like spirit of Zoro on the Christmas Eve.", I said and moved away from him. Zoro put on a cheeky grin and came crawling on the sofa to me. He took the glass I was holding, put it on the little table in front of us and took initiative. The pretty Christmas theme candles made it all more romantic. Zoro became my sexy Santa that night.

…

Soft kisses were waking me up. I gripped the blanket closer to my chest and slowly opened my eyes. Zoro was sitting beside me, smiling at me.

"Merry Christmas.", he said and kissed me again. I couldn't help but smile at him. He seemed so sweet and lovable, I just couldn't resist but to go up and kiss him. He just came out of the shower with his hair wet and down.

"Merry Christmas to you too.", I smiled but remembered, "Do we really need to go to work?", I asked and fell on the pillow.

"It's sad, but true. Boss said so and we must go.", he stood up and went to his wardrobe.

"And what about you? You will be working the whole day. We won't be together at all.", I whined and almost made me cry. Zoro picked the suit and the shirt he will wear and came to me again.

"I will be alright. I'm sorry and I'm sad that I will spend the whole day in that shitty office. I would like to be with you the most. I love you so much.", he said and kissed me again. He went to get dressed and I went to take a shower and prepare myself for work too.

…

Boss Shanks invited those who work just in the morning to another meeting.

"I have wonderful news for you – we managed to fill all the hotels and resorts we got in the offers. I congratulate not just you, but the all the others.", he said and everyone gave it a big applause, "But, what considers you guys is much better news.", we all looked each other, shrugging, not knowing what's up, "Your working time is lowered. You will be working just until noon. It's Christmas after all.", the colleagues went crazy – the applause was louder this time.

"Excuse me, Sir.", I raised my hand and everyone looked at me which made me nervous, "Will the afternoon shift also get their work time lowered?", I swallowed and waited for the answer. Boss stopped to think but then smiled at me.

"I didn't think that part.", and he laughed to himself. I was holding myself not to facepalm.

And so, the meeting was over without deciding what happens to the afternoon shift. We all went back to work and while the others were happy for themselves, I was sad because of Zoro. I wanted to be with him for Christmas…

"Hey, cheer up.", Nami patted me on the shoulder while we were riding the elevator to my department, "The boss will think of something. He is not that heartless to let them all work late on Christmas."

"I hope so…", I faked a smile and exited the elevator. I went back to typing and answering calls, still worried inside.

…

The shift was over and I had an idea to stop by Zoro's department to see him before I go and tell him that my shift ended. I looked for him and asked Ace about him but he told me he hasn't seen Zoro in a while so I left the company sadder. In the end, I decided to message Zoro and tell him I ended earlier.

'_He will see the message eventually. I don't want to bother him with calls…'_, I thought and put the phone back in my purse after I messaged. The town and the streets were decorated with nice Christmas decorations which reminded me to buy some presents for Zoro. I had time so I went to various shops and bought some nice stuff.

I almost missed the train back home – I was taken over the Christmas spirit and just enjoyed the shopping. I came back to Zoro's apartment, placed new set of candles on the tables and the countertop, put the presents under the tree and went to my apartment to phone my family and wish them a merry Christmas. I got used to Zoro's apartment so I went back, had a snack and before I knew it, fell asleep on the sofa.

…

I suddenly flinched in my dream and woke up. It was already night outside. I was still on the sofa, covered with a blanket and with a plate of cookies with a glass of milk on the table in front of me. There was a message by the plate, from Zoro.

"_It may seem late for milk and cookies but it really doesn't matter. I got them from Robin. Eat well._

_Love, Zoro."_

The candles that I placed in the afternoon were lit and the lights on the Christmas tree were on. Where is Zoro?

Suddenly the front door opened and he came in, carrying full bags in both hands. The clock on the wall showed 6PM. I still held that paper with a message and couldn't take my eyes of Zoro.

"Hey, you woke up. Did you try the cookies?", I shook my head but smiled. I stood up and went to hug him. Zoro was still wearing his winter jacket, he only took off his shoes, "Hey, is there something wrong?", I shook my head again, nuzzling in his shoulder.

"I'm just so happy you're here. I thought I will spend the Christmas alone again.", it took Zoro some time before he hugged me back tightly.

"Don't be silly, I'm with you.", he broke to hug and kissed me. After that he took those bags, pulled out many presents and placed them under the tree.

We spent our Christmas together and it's like I said – it was OUR Christmas.

…

"_Otsukaresama deshita_!", I shouted to my colleagues, going to the elevator. It was already the last day of the year. Boss was the great Santa again so he gave us a free evening. The elevator opened again and my beloved came in.

"Are you ready for another sweet night under the holiday lights?", he asked

"Mo, Zoro, stop it! Don't pretend you're a poet. But yeah, I'm ready.", I smiled and took his hand. We wished the other colleagues a Happy New Year and went out. I persuaded Zoro to go with me over the town; I had to buy some New Year presents, like the Christmas ones weren't enough.

I always have so much fun shopping for the holidays that I always forget about the time. Now I had Zoro to remind me.

"If you don't see it, it's getting dark and cold. Can we go home now.", he pulled my sleeve and I had to give in. I was starting to feel the cold too.

"There will surely be a lot of fireworks. Will we go to town again tonight?", I asked when we sat in the car.

"I think it's quite a fine view from our terrace. I always watch it from there but if you want…"

"Ah, no, it's okay. We can stay at home; have a nice meal and some champagne. We will greet the New Year together either way, but I want to be in warm and cozy.", I smiled and Zoro did too. We went back home and prepared the apartment. I again went to mine, changed clothes, called my family and went back to Zoro. I just couldn't be away from him.

…

"…, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!", we both shouted and kissed when the fireworks went on.

"Happy New Year.", we said at the same time. Zoro hugged me from the back and we stayed on the terrace, watching the lovely fireworks.

I entered the New Year with the one I love the most and that was all I needed. That moment was one of the happiest I've experienced so far.

…

Time passed like crazy – we were back to work, people were still arranging vacations and we were all gladly helping them. The payment was always on time and everyone was happy. It's true we were all tired at the times but after we get a grip of the job it all goes smoothly. It was the time for business trips again, even though it was winter and dead cold. Zoro, as one of the top workers in the company, had a business trip with the boss to another town, to arrange business with some nice and wealthy people.

'I will be back before you knew it.', his parting words would echo in my mind every night before I go to sleep. He was gone for almost 3 days and it was damn hard for me to sleep in the large bed without him so I just went to my apartment. His apartment would just remind me of him and it would be harder for me.

It was one day after I got back from work and unlocked the door that my phone rang. I let down my briefcase and rushed as the phone wouldn't stop ringing. On the display was my old home number. I thought it was Mom.

"Hello?", I answered.

"_[y/n]?"_

"Dad? It unusual for you to call… Is there something wrong?"

"_I'm calling you with important news. There are plenty of things that are wrong.",_ his words scared me; I couldn't move at all. I stayed silent and waited for him to tell me things, _"The truth is, your mother lost her job and I'm still working overtime. We can't afford to pay for your apartment anymore. You need to come back home."_

* * *

_To be continued..._


	16. Chapter 16

_Not too much explaining, let's get down to business!_

_**Summary from the previous chapter:** You and your colleagues prepared Zoro's surprise birthday party and it was all going nicely. Everyone did a great job and he liked it in the end. You gave a speech and everyone saw how serious your and Zoro's relationship actually is. Time passed really quickly and it was Christmas season - the most busy one. You both worked so hard but even with tight schedule you found time to celebrate the wonderful holidays, both Christmas and New Year. It was January - the very middle of the winter and Zoro had to go on a business trip already! One day, after you came back from work, your phone wouldn't stop ringing and when you answered you heard your Dad's voice. He told you to come home because your Mom lost her job and they can no longer pay for your apartment..._

* * *

Dad's words hit me hard. I could hear my heart beating loud in my ears. I thought my breathing and all my other functions stopped. I just stared at the empty wall of my living room. My mind went blank; I couldn't think of anything to say but I felt that one tear sliding down my cheek.

"_[y/n], are you there?",_ my Dad's voice snapped me out but I still starred at that one imaginary spot on the white wall.

"Why?", I slowly whispered.

"_Did you say something_?", Dad asked over the phone.

"Why?", I said with a bit louder tone, "Why do I have to come back? Why can't I stay?"

"_I just told you – your mother is now unemployed, we can't afford any more unnecessary costs, I'm working from the morning to late night just so that we can save some money for food and living."_

"But…", I started but my father was faster.

"_There's no excuse! I don't want to hear anything from you. We can't pay for your apartment and you need to come back home - tomorrow as possible!"_

"Can you just listen to me?!", for the first time in my life, I yelled to my father. I didn't want this to slip just easily. I didn't want to leave… I can't leave, "can you just… listen… please?"

"_All right, say what you want.",_ his voice seemed cold as ice. He wasn't very interested in my words but I had to tell him what I think and what I want!

"Dad… I know we can work this out. I… I can also work overtime! I'll do both shifts! My salary is already great and it would be perfect when doubled! I can pay for the apartment on my own; I can even send you half of it. See, I'll be just fine so there's no need…"

"_Are you out of your mind?!",_ he cut me in the middle of my sentence again, yelling over the phone, _"[y/n], let's not start with that. If you pay the bills on your own and send us money, you won't have anything to eat! How will you live?! On air?! [y/n], please…"_

"But… Dad…", I started crying, I couldn't help it, "Dad… please… I love it here. I have met some great people and made friends. I love the job I'm in. I love this town so much… I don't want to leave…", I fell on my knees, still holding the phone to my ear, sobbing uncontrollably. I waited for my father to say something back but I didn't hear anything on the other side of the wire. I wanted my Dad to consider this; I wanted him to agree with me and let me stay where I am.

'_Please, Dad… please let me stay. I can't lose this life, my job, the friends I made, people I met… and Zoro… I just can't! I'm not prepared for it.'_, I thought gripping hard the phone in my hand. I heard the sigh coming from my Dad and opened my eyes.

"_I told you to stop with it. I heard what you have to say but what I said stays. My word is final – you're coming home tomorrow so start packing all your stuff. Goodbye.",_ and he hung up. The beeping sound on the phone invaded my mind. My knees got weak and I sat on the floor. I haven't experienced the greater shock in my life than this! It may seem like an ordinary situation where one must go and help the parents but, for me, it was a catastrophe.

My arm loosened and I dropped the phone which rolled away from me. I looked at the ceiling but my tears only slid faster from my face. My mind was blank again, my body felt heavy and filled with nothing but sadness.

"Why… ?", I whispered to myself but it took me only few moments to get mad. I hit the floor with my fists and forehead right after. I clenched my teeth and shut my eyes, still sobbing like a maniac, "Why are you such a bastard?! Why are you so cruel to me?! Why do you do this to me?! Why… Dad?!", I rubbed my forehead against the floor, tightening my fists more, "You were supposed to think about my happiness first. I am your daughter, right?", I couldn't be mad anymore because sadness took over my being again. I fell on my side and gripped the sleeves on my shirt, like I was hugging myself, "I can't… I can't lose everything… I worked so hard to achieve all this and now… it will all go to waste.", I "hugged" myself more, continuing to cry.

'_Zoro… where are you? I need you now…',_ just a thought made me shut my eyes and sob. It was painful – my chest hurt but I just couldn't stop crying. Thoughts of Zoro made me flinch and remember – I need him! I sat up and grabbed the phone. I dialed Zoro's mobile phone number and waited.

"_The person you have called is curr—",_ I hung up and threw the phone on the sofa.

"I don't need any fucking secretary to tell me he's not available! I need him, damn it!", I went mad again but remembering Zoro switched my mood to sad again. I considered calling someone else instead but in the end I couldn't – I wanted only Zoro!

Then, my father's words came to mind – I have to pack all my things. I looked all over the apartment remembering the first time I stepped inside, carrying my big suitcase. Now, after almost 3 years, I have to carry that same suitcase, this time leaving my cozy home.

I stood up and went to my bedroom. I opened the drawer in my bed where my big suitcase was. Nostalgia mixed with sadness and hit me like a train.

As it was already the middle of winter, sun slowly started to set and it was just about 4 o' clock. I sighed and yawned, closing the drawer of my bed. I couldn't torture myself anymore and look at that big black suitcase that was lying there.

All the crying and sadness made me weak and sleepy so I went to bed and as soon as my head hit the pillow, I fell into an empty dream.

…

Guess my empty dreaming was over as I suddenly flinched and woke up. I was holding my cell phone tightly in my right hand and as I saw it, I immediately sat up and dialed. Zoro's number was first on my called list so I just clicked and waited for him to pick up.

I bumped my face back on the pillow as the phone secretary spoke up again. I was starting to feel more desperate and sadder. I couldn't force myself to cry more, I was tired of it – tears didn't come out no matter what. Instead of crying, I went to the kitchen and prepared myself a meal.

'_Last dinner here, huh?'_, I thought to myself, cutting the potatoes. I fried them and ate in pure silence. Only the clock on my living room wall made some sound which somehow put me in reality. The whole situation seemed like a bad nightmare but it wasn't – I really had to quit my job and go to my hometown tomorrow. The thoughts about it made my stomach ache and made the food I was eating tasteless.

'_It all ends tomorrow… All that I worked for, all that I enjoyed… it all ends…'_, I just sighed and finished my fries. I cleaned the dishes and went back to the bedroom. The drawer where the big suitcase was seemed so dark and so sad, making me unwilling to open it again. But I just swallowed and went to the bed. I pulled out the suitcase realizing how big it actually is – when I was about to move in the apartment, it carried all my clothes. But, now that I bought some more, I wondered will it be able to carry all of them.

I opened the wardrobe and started pulling the clothes off the hangers and off the shelves. I had various types of clothing but some of them made me stop and stare at them, my face turning sadder. I found the blue dress I wore when I went on a date with Sanji. He really like it and complimented my looks many times that evening at the restaurant. That was also the night he confessed to me. I remembered it all.

Next, I found the torn tights I wore on that dangerous night. I wondered why I still keep them. The hole on the thigh was huge, my whole hand could pass. Somehow, they still smelled like a street. I touched my thigh, remembering that horrible night. I closed my eyes but the images of the event still came in front of my eyes. If it wasn't for Zoro, I would surely get raped that night… or maybe even killed. I owe my life to him - to Zoro… my savior.

Right after the tights was Zoro's shirt – the shirt he let me wear. That large T-shirt that was coming to my knees was my precious piece of clothing. It made me remember all the lovable times I spent with Zoro. Tears came on their own as I hugged the big grey t-shirt close to my face. Now, it was even harder for me to leave. Pain in my chest build up and I just couldn't stop sobbing. Since Zoro told me to keep the shirt, I folded it and put it in the suitcase along with other clothes. I wiped off my tears and went back to packing.

I put all my working clothes on top and finally got to end it will the shoes. I pulled them out of the boxes so they can fit with the rest of the clothes. I had a lot of shoes but stopped at one particular summer sandals. Those were the sandals which almost cost me a break up with Zoro. I wore them and ran in the rain, almost breaking my ankle as my foot slipped. It was a great date that almost ended terribly. We were both saved as love prevailed and put us back together. I put those sandals in the suitcase along with the rest of the clothes and went to the bathroom to pick up stuff from there.

I took the one last shower before going to bed. I barely closed the suitcase, put it by the bedroom door and slipped in my bed. The whole packing thing demanded a lot of energy and took me long enough to finish it. I was already weakened by my sad and depressed mood that I couldn't continue anymore.

'_Tomorrow will come and I'll have to say goodbye to everyone. I hate it already… I need you… Zoro…',_ I buried my face in the pillow, trying to push off the thoughts and horrible emotions.

Forcing myself not to cry anymore made me fall asleep. This time, it wasn't just some empty dream, it was a dream that helped me a little and calmed me down.

I dreamt about Zoro and me, having a great time together, laughing, kissing and loving each other. He held me in his strong arms whispering calming and sweet words to me. We were sitting on a cushion, surrounded with nothing but white and puffy clouds. I was sitting in his lap, resting my head on his shoulder. Zoro wouldn't stop whispering to me. I couldn't recognize what was he saying but those whispers calmed me down. He suddenly stopped and came to my face. Zoro smiled to me and kissed me. His lips were soft and moist even in a dream. I could never forget that feeling. His touch seemed so real, too. He broke the kiss and put his hand on my cheek, still smiling softly to me.

"_You are the best thing that happened to me. I couldn't be happier than I already am. I'm nothing without you, you're my love. I love you so much, [y/n]…"_, he said and hugged me. Tear of happiness rolled down my cheek and I happily hugged Zoro back. I didn't want him to let go of me; I wanted to stay in that hug forever. But, as I tightened the hug, Zoro slowly started to disappear from my arms. I let go of him but I couldn't do anything to stop him from disappearing. I tried to speak but my words didn't come out. I reached my arm to him but Zoro only drifted away from me faster. He kept his smile on until the end.

I woke up facing the ceiling. Suddenly a bad and sad feeling took over my body and I just rolled to the side. It was morning – a cold winter morning with lazy sun and my last morning in the apartment. I closed my eyes again but just as I did my regular alarm clock went on, signaling me that it's time to get up for work. I turned it off, went to take one last morning shower and got dressed, ready to go the company… for the last time. I put on trousers and a blouse, not my usual working clothes. After a little breakfast I took my purse and my coat and went to the company, mentally preparing myself for the next thing that will happen.

…

"Hi, has the boss arrived yet from the business trip? I heard he will be back today.", I asked the reception girl while she was checking my business card.

"Yes, he came early this morning. He's in his office right now.", she said smiling and handing me over my card. I just nodded to her with a weak smile and went straight to the elevator, selecting the boss' floor number. I took a deep breath and as the numbers were passing and closing to the selected floor, I became more nervous, repeating a "speech" in my head that I planned to tell the boss. When the door opened at my selected floor, I took another deep breath and walked to the door. After the knock and boss' approval to come in, I went in thinking only on the things I have to do putting the nervousness aside.

"Good morning, Sir.", I said as I approached his desk.

"Oh, good morning, [y/n]. It's unusual for you to come to my office… is there something wrong around the department?", boss Shanks asked not moving his eyes away from the papers in his hands.

"Ummm, there's nothing wrong with work, Sir… I came for the personal matter.", I said and he stopped looking at the papers. Instead, he lifted his head to me and looked at me with a confused face. He let down the papers and leaned forward.

"Please sit and tell me your problem.", he sounded like he knew that it was a problem.

"Thank you, Sir.", I said and sat in the chair that was in front of his desk, "Well, I'll get straight to the point – I need to quit my job.", I said, making the boss flinch a little. He didn't say anything, though. He probably didn't want to interrupt in my speech and make me explain myself, "The thing is… my father called me yesterday, saying that my mother lost her job and that I need to come back home. They can no longer pay for my apartment and I can't do that on my own and support them with it. So, as hard as it seems, I have to quit this job…", I said looking at my fists on my knees. I waited for the boss to speak up – he leaned back in his chair and paused before speaking.

"[y/n], you know that with you leaving, this company will lose one of its best workers? I never imagined that this day will come; not only for you but for every employee here. I hate losing good and honest people who work hard but… according to the protocol, I need to have 'those' papers somewhere in my drawers.", I just nodded, lifting my head slowly back to him. Boss sighed and opened one of the drawers in his desk. He looked for quite some time before pulling out some papers, "Signing this paper, you quit your contract with this company and your position will become empty.", he paused and looked at me, "I can say that I understand your situation and I can also ask you to stay but… in life, there are times when you have to make a sacrifice and there are things that seem so cruel and wrong but… you will see that that is the best for you."

"Thank you, Sir.", I was holding myself not to cry. Boss smiled, took the pen out of his pocket and slowly gave it to me along with the last couple of papers I will need to sign in the company.

"You were really one amazing employee here. I would like to see you again so I'll tell you that you're always welcome to come back.", I once again thanked him before I went to the end of the papers, swallowed and finally wrote my name on that little line. Boss Akagami took the paper, signed it himself, added the company's stamp and gave me one of the papers. He stood up and came to me, "I bet your colleagues will miss you badly.", I forced a weak smile, "It was a pleasure working with you, [y/n].", he said offering his hand. We shook hands and he went to the door with me.

"Thank you so much for everything.", I bowed when I was in the hallway. I put the signed paper in my purse and pressed the down button. Once in the elevator, I bowed to Akagami-san once again and smiled. Once the door closed I let out a sad sigh. It all went smooth but really painful for me. The whole day will have that effect!

Door of the elevator opened at my, now former department. I stepped out and took a look around. it was one big office with lots of desks aligned perfectly in one row. Only thin walls would separate them. I could see the whole department from the elevator door – everyone was working hard, typing on their computers with phones ringing every now and then. I took a deep breath, breathing in the familiar and nice smell of the analysis department. I will surely miss that – all the rush and commotion, busy people and all the sounds mixing up and forming one unusual melody.

"[y/n]! Great! You arrived just in time!", I heard Nami's voice coming from my right. She rushed to me with some papers in her hands, talking with speed of light about some numbers and hotels. I just smiled to her. My face was mix of a smile and sadness and that made Nami stop in her track and look confusing at me, "[y/n]?"

"Nami, can you call the others, I need something to tell you.", I didn't let my smile down. She immediately called Sanji and Vivi and yelled to the others to stop working.

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make so can you just hear me out for few minutes?", everyone turned to me, making me slightly uneasy, "Ummm… I just went to the boss and signed 'that' papers. In other words, I just quit my job.", sudden commission rose and everyone started whispering and gasping. I, however, still smiled.

"[y/n], what are you saying? This must me a joke, right?", Nami said in panic, turning me to her. I shook my head and pulled out the paper from my purse. She formed a sad expression and just couldn't believe me.

"[y/n]-san, why did you have to quit?", Sanji asked.

"Well, my family has some problems back home and I'm going back to help them. I can no longer stay here so… I'm sorry.", I said and as soon as I ended the sentence, Nami hugged me tightly, dropping her papers.

"You stupid little idiot… you could've at least told us. We…", she let go of the hug and looked at me, her eyes filled with tears, "We could at least have a party to see you off."

"My Dad called my yesterday and told me to come back today. I was scared and shocked, I couldn't call anyone…", I let down my gaze remembering that I called Zoro and he wasn't there.

"Then, what about that stupid idiot?!", Sanji yelled coming closer. I just shook my head, letting down my smile and starting to feel sad, "That bastard!", he yelled again, kicking the wall, "Every time… every fucking time when he's the most needed he goes to some fucking business trip. Bastard!", the other employees went back to work, leaving our group of four to discuss everything, "That's it! I'm calling him!", Sanji pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed. Not long after he cursed at the phone and put it back where it was – Zoro was again out of the reach.

"I tried calling him yesterday but only the secretary would answer me.", I said feeling even worse.

"I swear I'll kill the bastard! I'll call and call until he finally answers!", Sanji growled kicking the wall again.

"That's right.", Nami said making me turn my head to her, "Leave it all to Sanji-kun. Once he decides on it, he won't settle down until it's done. So, don't worry, he will get to Zoro.", Nami winked with a thumbs up. Vivi also nodded with a smile so I had to smile a bit too. Sanji was the only one pissed off kicking the wall endlessly until Nami realized what he's doing and stopped him before he could break the poor wall.

I went to my desk to pick up thing I've been keeping there. I said to Nami that she could put all my works into archive and she agreed. She gave me an empty box for my stuff but I really didn't have much so all I needed was a little box or a paper bag to put all in. I had some chat and laugh with them before I realized what time it was. The bus to my home will leave at 2PM and it was already 10AM when I finished collecting all the things from my desk. I said my goodbyes to all of the colleagues in the department and decided to go to the other floors and see other people once again.

"Sanji-kun, go with her.", Nami said pushing Sanji. She winked and waved, "We'll all going to miss you, girl! Don't forget about us!"

"I won't, I promise! Thank you for all the things you've done! You we're great friends to me.", I said bowing to all of them. I once again smiled, controlling my tears not to fall. The door of the elevator opened and Sanji and I went in. Others waved and shouted until the door closed. I waved back, biting my lip to prevent the tears from falling.

"Nami-san is right,", Sanji said but I still looked at the closed door in front of me, "we will all miss you. You were our great friend and colleague."

"Thank you, Sanji.", I finally looked at him, one tear sliding down my cheek.

The elevator door opened at the one floor up. I went and said goodbye to Marco and all of the people working there. They all wished me the best on my way back to the elevator. Next was Sanji's former department and the one Zoro was working in. There were Luffy, Usopp and Ace and as soon as they heard the news from me they begged me to stay but I showed them the paper and apologized. They were my great friends that helped me a lot and made my time at the company more interesting. We parted with hugs and sad faces but the best wishes and exchanged numbers made everything better. Finally, Sanji and I went to the first floor for me to sign out on the reception and exit the company, this time not like an employee of the one.

"[y/n]-san…", Sanji said after I gave my card to the receptionist, "I'm really sorry.", that surprised me.

"Hey, hey…", I came to him and lifted his head to meet his eyes, "Why in the world are you sorry? Sanji, more than anyone, you helped me and… I just can't express it. I'm so grateful I met you. I'm grateful I became your friend and I'm grateful for all the things you've done for me. Really, thank you!"

"The department, no, this company won't be the same without you. Out of all the colleagues, I'll miss you the most. Well, not including that green bastard…", he made me chuckle, "I promise you I'll call him and tell him everything. He must come to see you off!"

"Thank you. I wish that I could only see him and say goodbye properly…", I looked down. Sanji gripped the box with my office things he carried.

"He's such a moron…", he frowned and cursed under his breath.

"Well, I have to go now, I have many things that I didn't packed.", I said taking the box out of Sanji's hands. I went to his cheek and kissed him lightly, "Thank you so much.", I smiled and went to the exit. Sanji stood in surprise, holding his kissed cheek. I waved and smiled to him until the cab pulled over.

…

I searched around my purse to find the key to unlock my apartment door but just in the moment I heard a familiar voice.

"Oh, isn't it [y/n]-chan? What are you doing here now? Aren't you supposed to be at work?", lady Ishikawa said looking up at me. I smiled to her finally founding my keys.

"Ah, I quit my job just now.", I said and the poor grandma gasped to the sentence.

"Why? You were doing just fine, right? What happened?", she asked gripping the plate with cookies she was holding.

"Well… my family needs me back at home. Mom lost her job so…", I looked to the side.

"Oh, poor thing… Wait, let me go back and pack you some of these fresh cookies I baked.", and she went back to her apartment for the cookies. I just smiled and unlocked the door. Just then my phone alarmed that I got a message. When I looked at it, it was from my Dad saying that I pack all the large stuff in separate boxes because he will come with some of his colleagues to pick all that up later today. I sighed putting my coat and purse on the sofa. Lady Ishikawa knocked and came in, bringing me a bag full of cookies.

"These are for you and your family.", she said offering the bag.

"Thank you.", I said taking the bag politely.

"It's so sudden that you have to leave… We will all miss you here."

"Thank you, really.", I said, bowing slightly.

"Is there anything I can help you with?", she asked.

"Ah, no. I have just a little bit of packing and I'll leave around 1PM to get on the bus on time."

"You have our number so if there's anything you need just ring us."

"Hehe, okay, I will, don't worry. We will surely be in touch even after I leave.", I said and she nodded saying her goodbyes and leaving the apartment. I found some empty boxes and went straight to packing all the other stuff.

…

"Books – check! Pillows and covers – check! Laptop and computer – check! Plants – check! Figures – check! Dishes – check and the other box is check too.", I said to myself looking around the boxes in the living room. All the packing took me a lot of time but I managed to complete all of it.

I looked around the apartment. It seemed so terribly cold and empty. Furniture was the only thing that was left and it wasn't mine, it was there when I first moved in and it seemed like when I first saw it. It all seemed so sad and empty, making me feel the same. On the clock was already 12:55 – time for me to leave. I took my heavy suitcase with clothes and barely pulled it across the floor and to the door.

"I'll miss you, my little cozy home." I said after putting my shoes on. I opened the door and stared along the little hallway of the apartment. I could only see the side of the sofa and the window. I smiled and closed the door behind me, leaving the apartment for the very last time. I locked the door and put the key in my purse. I was about to go to the elevator but I stopped at my neighbor's door – Zoro's door.

'_New Year was the last time we were together in there…'_, I thought, feeling sad about it. I continued staring but was cut by lady Ishikawa's voice.

"[y/n]-chan!", I turned to her. She was approaching me with her husband and her son by her sides, "Let my son carry that suitcase for you."

"Oh, it's really not necessary. We have an elevator and I already called the cab.", I smiled to them, "Anyway…", I bowed to them, "Thank you very much for everything!", lady Ishikawa came to me and put her hand on my shoulder making me raise my head to her.

"We will be expecting your visit.", she smiled making me smile back. She reminded me of the time and I rushed to the elevator. I bowed once again I entered the elevator and stayed like that until it closed.

'_I really met some wonderful and amazing people in this town…'_, I thought smiling to myself. I still hated the thing about leaving the town but I already faced the facts and calmed myself with a thought 'Everything's gonna be alright…'.

The cab waited for me in front of the building and driver helped me put the suitcase in the trunk. I looked up at the building and said my goodbyes.

"Hope we'll meet again…", I said to myself and entered the car.

…

"Shit, my battery's dead!", I cursed to my phone, coming to the bus station. It was about 1:20PM on the clock as I bought my ticket. I came on the platforms looking up and down to check the numbers where my bus will stand, "Finally, number 13.", I said making my way thought the crowd of people that were just standing, didn't bother to move and apparently weren't on the same bus as me.

"Missy, you're on this bus?", asked a short grandpa that was wearing an uniform and was supposed to be the bus driver. I nodded and he opened the door of the bus where the entire luggage will be. With united forces, we somehow put in my big black suitcase, making me apologize constantly after.

The grandpa driver went in the bus and started its engine around 1:40PM. I stayed outside, on the cold winter weather, looking over the crowd at the front gate of the station. I was expecting a miracle – Zoro to come running to me. But, as the minutes passed, I became more and more nervous and sadder. There was no sign of Zoro and just when I wanted to call him again, my phone was dead. I continued looking and searching for him, on and on, putting aside the cold and the time. I just wanted to see him!

The voice came from the speakers, announcing that the bus, which I'm on, will leave at 2 o'clock. My wristwatch showed 1:52PM and my eyes slowly started to fill up with tears.

'_Please come… Please, Zoro…'_, I bit my lip over and over again but I couldn't control the tears. The minutes were closing and I was going crazy. I started turning around - looking at every possible direction, just to see the one I was looking for.

'_Don't leave me now… Please, Zoro… come to me.', I cried more, 'Please, Zoro… I need you… I need you to hold me, say that you love me and would never leave me. I need to hear that from you. I need you so terribly much!'_, I held my hands tightly, praying for him to come. I looked over the crowd again and still didn't see him.

"Hey, Missy!", I heard a voice coming from the bus, it was the driver, "Are you coming in or not?"

"Just a little bit more, please. I'm expecting someone to come.", it seemed like I was begging him – I held my hands and cried.

"I understand but the bus must leave at the exact time. I can't wait any longer.", he said cold. There was no emotion of care and understand in his voice at all.

"Just few more minutes… please.", I just wanted to stall for long enough for Zoro to come.

"Missy, it's already 2 o' clock. If I don't move this bus and exit the station, I'll lose my job. There's no waiting for anyone. Are you coming in or not?", he was starting to sound annoyed so I had to agree. I looked both left and right at the gates, hoping to see Zoro but I just saw people moving around, getting in and out of the buses. There was no sign of Zoro…

My hope dropped dead when I entered the bus and sat on my seat, close to the window. At first people were staring at me but I just sighed and leaned to the window, accepting my fate that I won't see Zoro at all. The gate opened and the bus exited the station, all that was left were 2 and a half hours drive to my hometown. Bus stopped at the red light and a sudden wild knocking came from the bus front door. The driver opened the door yelling.

"What the heck do you want?!", everyone looked forward but I didn't bother.

"[y/n]!", I heard my voice being called by a very familiar voice, "[y/n], are you here?!", he called again. I went out of my seat and just stared.

"Z-Zoro…?", he turned on my voice and came running to me. He hugged me tightly and just stayed like that. I was out of my mind; it all surprised me so damn much!

"Thank god I found you…", he said, making me flinch in his arms, "I ran over to the station but the saw the bus leaving so I ran as quickly as possible to catch up with you.", he panted heavily. I felt his heart beating fast.

"H-how?", I barely asked.

"All thanks to the blonde-brow. I tried calling you myself but I your phone was out of reach. I saw your calls but I was at the meeting then. When I finally answered the blonde I came back to the town as soon as I heard you're leaving. I left from every meeting and every damn talk I had scheduled.", I pushed him when I heard the last sentence.

"B-but, what's about your job at the company? What's about all the work you have?!", I panicked but he only smiled to me.

"It's not all about work.", my eyes widen, "It's about you, and me, and your love and relationship. [y/n], I love you too much to choose you over work. You were always number one to me. I can't focus on anything I'm doing if you aren't by my side. I'm nothing without you…", he said the exact same thing like in my dream.

"I thought I will never see you again… I'm so happy that you're here!", I hugged him, crying.

"And I will forever be. I won't leave you… ever!", he said, nuzzling in my hair.

"KISS! KISS! KISS!", came shouting from all over the bus. We both looked at each other, realizing that we're surrounded by people, standing in the middle of the bus. Zoro smiled, making me smile back. We both shrug and came into a kiss. The crowd went wild so we broke the kiss fast. We both blushed of embarrassment, connecting out foreheads together.

"Hey, pretty boy! The green light's on! If you're staying on the bus, sit down; If you're not, get out!", shouted the driver, opening the front door.

"It's okay, you can close the door!", Zoro shouted back but looked at me right after, "I'm staying.", it was one more surprise that struck me like a lightning.

"B-but… you… you're going?", I asked all confused. Zoro smiled even wider.

"Yeah. I just said I'm not going to leave you. I will be by your side forever – wherever you go, I'll go with you.", I kept his smile, still holding me. I couldn't help it – I smiled back at him and leaned my head to his shoulder.

"You big moron…", I said quietly just flinched as I again realized people are still starring at us.

Zoro and I parted from the hug and went to our seats. We held hands and talked. Apparently, he doesn't have any luggage except his cell phone, wallet and his car keys, but he didn't care about it. He was just fine as it was in that moment. Zoro said that his phone was off in the meeting and that his battery died just in the middle of his call with Sanji. It was a hard business trip for him but he's glad he can finally relax. With that said he let out a sigh and leaned in his seat. He didn't let go of my hand even for a second. After paying for the ticket and after our little chat, kisses and laughs Zoro fell asleep fast. I looked up at him and smiled, finally happy that he's with me. I quietly thanked Sanji for persistent calling and opened the curtain to watch the nice winter sunset. I didn't watch it long – I looked at the sleeping Zoro and smiled happily.

'_We're finally together… I couldn't imagine my life without you… I'm the one who needs to say that I'm nothing without you, my love. I don't want you to ever let go of that hand. I love you, my crazy workaholic…'_, I thought and leaned to Zoro's shoulder to take a nap until we get home, tightening the grip of my hand. I fell into a nice sleepy, feeling happy and wonderful on the inside, and all thanks to the one sitting next to me – my love, my life, my savior, my one and only Zoro.

* * *

**_-THE END-_**

_(?)_


	17. Chapter 17 -extended ending-

_Did you really think that all will end in that bus? Well think again! **The story is updated!** And this is an extended ending, which means that you'll see what will happen once Zoro and you arrive at your hometown. How will family react? How will strict and scary Dad react? Find out reading this chapter..._

_It's without any dialog, just a readers POV!_

_enjoy~_

* * *

Sudden ray of light woke me up and I realized that I fell asleep with open curtains and my head leaned on the bus window. Sun was already setting in beautiful orange colors that looked like it was painted on the winter sky. The dusk was beautiful; the sun behind the glass still felt warm even though it was the middle of the winter but what felt warmer and more beautiful to me was the grip of a hand. I turned my head to my right and smiled. I still couldn't believe that he was there, resting his head on my shoulder, soundly asleep. He was everything to me in that moment: my life, my love, my courage, my support, my one and only Zoro. My grip didn't loosen up – I held his hand firmly and gently, rubbing my thumb over his. He seemed so peaceful and gentle and I just wanted to carve that gentle face deep inside my memory. Zoro was beat and tired from work so I didn't want to wake him up and let him rest until we arrive.

That was now the main thing on my mind – arrival at my hometown. I was afraid but I just once again looked at Zoro's hand tightly gripping mine and forgot about fear; I'll just go and act natural, introduce Zoro to my family and just hope they'll accept him. Only about an hour was left until the bus enters my hometown and my heart wouldn't stop racing like I was chased by wild hounds.

I slowly and gently woke Zoro up, telling him that we arrived at the town. The bus only had few more minutes before entering the main station. The sun already set and people on the bus were slowly starting to prepare themselves to exit the bus.

Calm and peaceful bus turned into a commotion between the passengers in a split second. Impatient grandmas, crying babies and loud children all made my head blow up; I just wanted to get out of the damn bus already. Zoro seemed calm; he was holding my hand, letting the mad mob pass us so that we can finally stand out of our seats and exit.

The gasp of a fresh air was all I needed and once out of the uncomfortable bus, I got that gasp of familiar and almost forgotten hometown air. Zoro and I went to the crowd to collect my luggage and barely got it. No one awaited us at the station so we took a taxi to take us to my home. Once in the cab, my heart started racing again. I took many deep breaths to calm myself down and Zoro's grip of a hand definitely helped me. Now that I remember, he didn't let go of my hand ever since he came to the bus and we sat down. The car was closing to my family house and I took another deep breath. Zoro nudged me and got my attention. He didn't say a thing – he only smiled at me, making me remember how sweet, lovely and peaceful his face is when he smiles. I smiled back at him and tightened the grip of a hand.

When taxi stopped at in front of the gate of my family home, I looked at the smiling Zoro, widened my smile, nodded and opened the front gate. Yes, I was thinking that my parents would flip out once they see Zoro but I just didn't want to think about it. Zoro dragged my big black suitcase and we stopped at the front door. We again smiled to each other before I rang the doorbell.

Few moments of the waiting before the door finally opened and my sister appeared in front of us. Her gasp was surprising and cute. It took her a little to get herself together but in that pause my Mom arrived to see why Mari didn't say a thing until she opened the door. I kept my smile and nodded to her and Zoro did the same. Mom got the idea and called for Dad. Zoro and I took the deepest breaths ever and waited for my scary Dad to come. And once he came our smiles went down. Zoro bowed first and I continued to stare at my Dad.

Zoro introduced himself, apologized for the sudden appearance and just stayed looking at the ground. I took a gulp of courage and bowed myself. I too apologized but for bringing Zoro so sudden. However, after my sentence Zoro again apologized, saying that he came with me on his own accord and with his own will. He said that he wants to follow me wherever I go and support me until the end which reminded me perfectly so I told my family that Zoro has been my greatest support in the big town. He was my source of courage, my friend; my dear colleague and a person on who could I always rely on. After a pause I noticed Zoro blush and start his story with a nervous voice – he said that he cares and loves me and will provide me support at anytime. I could see and hear that he completely cared about me and deeply wanted my family to accept him. Another pause came up and only god knows what was happening in front of us. A sudden hand on my shoulder made me flinch and lift my head a little. My Mom smiled at me, tapping both me and Zoro on the shoulder. She didn't say anything else but inviting us to dinner, saying that we're probably exhausted from the trip. I shifted my eyes to the door and Dad was gone; my sister was the only one there quietly squealing out of happiness. Zoro and I straightened up and just looked confused. Mom went inside first followed by my sister. I nodded to Zoro and we both nervously went in the house.

…

Zoro told the rest of the story at the dinner table as my Mom wouldn't stop asking things. Her face showed happiness, just like Mari's but my Dad only ate in silence with a straight face. He was always like that!

Zoro said that he is ready to find new job at our town and help us, which hopefully pleased my parents, I think. Mom was pleased to have guest at home and already said that we have a spare room on the second floor. That room was actually full of many different things but had a bed – it was like a storage room. After the dinner and after some chit-chat with Zoro, my Dad finally relaxed. The two talked about work, economics and money savings. Zoro was experienced in that and I could see some pride on my Dad's face when our eyes met. His face was saying that I made a great choice for having Zoro as my boyfriend.

The first night went better than I ever expected – my Mom gave Zoro some of Dad's clothes and put Zoro's shirt into the wash, she arranged his room and bed, joking around that it was better if she could've gave us the room they were sleeping in. I would not like to sleep with Zoro on the same bed where my parents did so it was a bad joke. After I took a shower I found my sister and Zoro in my room. Mari wouldn't stop asking Zoro things on and on. She was always full of questions and stories. After awhile I finally got her out of my room and finally got a chance to be with the one I love. We talked and kissed and cuddled but soon as the lights went down downstairs we parted – Zoro went to his room and I stayed in mine. Zoro showed full respect to my parents and didn't do anything even though we both wanted something.

…

New day came and it was time for me and Zoro to head to town and ask for jobs. It was tough luck and we came back with empty hands. But, once my Dad came back home from his work, he had great news for Zoro. He wanted to show Zoro to the company where he works as they always need nice and strong men to help out.

In the late afternoon, I got a call from my former colleagues. I told them everything and Sanji went mad. He was pissed off that Zoro came with me but on the other hand he was pleased everything went nicely and in perfect way. Sanji threatened Zoro that he'll kill him if he makes even a slightest mistake. Mom again came to Zoro with more clothes, just so that "he won't catch a cold". That's when we decided to go shopping first thing tomorrow.

But, the shopping was postponed as Zoro went with my Dad early in the morning to a business talk. Mom and I went to the town and bought groceries, asking around the shops for a job. In the end, I got lucky and got employed at a grocery store and when Dad and Zoro got home they brought nice news – Zoro also got a job at the company as an engineer. We were both awarded with nice and delicious dinner.

…

Days passed, Zoro and I worked hard and earned money. It wasn't easy but my family definitely got to live relaxed. My parents now fully acknowledged Zoro and were treating him like a member of our family. Dad was more relaxed in Zoro's company and they even joked around which surprised me to the max – I never saw my father acting like that! Mom stopped giving clothes to Zoro because we bought some nice pieces of clothing down in the town. Mari was overjoyed that Zoro was around; she just could stop admiring him. Zoro also got used to living with us and fit in perfectly. And as for our relationship… because my parents "approved" Zoro, they gave him permissions and freedom around the house which made Zoro pretty relaxed towards me but he had his manners and limits. We weren't married or at our own house so all the touching was left for the night and for the room.

Regardless of working in the company with my Dad, Zoro wanted to help more – he was doing minor jobs around the neighborhood and around the town, getting nice amount of money every day.

Not every day went in just work, I also got some phone calls from my friends and even old lady Ishikawa from the building. She was very surprised that Zoro was with me and send us a lot of support. Some calls were even from our old company – boss called with job proposals for the two of us but we had to decline them. We couldn't think of going back, not until we secure this family and help them. So, in that case, boss Shanks wished us a best of luck together. That really made us proud and built up our determination and courage to move forward.

…

Month passed, seasons passed and we were now in the beginning of the summer. Jobs also passed and Zoro and I changed to another places – I worked at the flower shop and he at the convenient store, carrying a lot of heavy boxes loaded with food and groceries. High school girls, my sister friends and others flipped out for muscled and sweaty Zoro in a shoulder strap shirt, baggy pants and a cap on. And those girls weren't the only ones – the shop I worked in was just across the road. Sweaty Zoro was an eye candy even for the flower shop owner lady. All that "fangirls" wouldn't distract Zoro; he just worked hard not paying any attention to the happy girly squeals. Soon, everybody in the town found out we were a couple and every girl that spoke up to me praised me for having such man by my side. I couldn't do much - I just thanked them and moved on with my job.

Zoro still had more than one job and this time he worked at the yard next door. Our neighbor was an old granny and she needed some wood chopped to prepare for winter. Once again, sweaty and tense Zoro gathered up attention of the girls who clanged on the gate to watch him handling that old axe chopping the wood. I wanted to play a game so I went to the neighbor with fresh lemonade for my hard working darling. I somehow pushed myself through the mass of crazy fangirls, which my sister was part of, and made it to Zoro. I gave the refreshing lemonade to the monitoring granny and Zoro, rewarding him with the fresh drink which was followed by a nice and shameless kiss. All the girls went crazy but that only made me work harder, building up my pride. I really felt sorry for the girls – sweaty and masculine axe-boy was just mine. After the lemonade and soft kiss his shirt came off, making the mad girls squeal hard. I almost done that myself but controlled the emotion nicely inside myself.

The neighborhood jobs weren't the only place where girls got to see shirtless Zoro. He once again gathered attention at the pool, revealing his more than fine chest with a long scar that came across it. I could easily say that I was living a dream with that guy! Envisions looks only build up my pride and make me cherish my man more than ever!

So, our summer was filled with a lot of sweat and hard work but also a lot of fun. Somewhere around in August we went to the summer festival and just spent some great time together. Nights were warm and it was hard to fall asleep so we enjoyed relaxing together in the bed, making out, cuddling and making wonderful love.

…

Time flew like crazy! Zoro became like a son to my parents and an older brother to my sister. House budget was seriously better and somehow at the beginning of September my Mom got a new job at the grocery store. We now all had our jobs and nice amount of money coming to house. We were finally able to live nicely without a worry. The process wasn't easy but it was surely a wonderful feeling living at ease in the end.

One night, my parents surprised me by inviting me and Zoro to a home-made dinner. My Dad said that he has something very important to tell the both of us and that put more pressure on me! He didn't start the talk up until the end of the desert – we were slowly and nicely drinking out wine when he mentioned the big town we used to live in. Zoro and I exchanged weird looks – my Dad has never spoken a word about the town and our previous jobs. So, why now? He continued with a reminder story about how he called me saying that he and Mom can't pay for my apartment anymore and now he said that they sold it right after I came home. Dad didn't say that to me this whole time?! I was honestly pissed off!

Dad confirmed from Zoro that he still has his next door apartment and then boom – he said the crucial thing. My parents want me to move back to that town and start over.

I was clearly in shock… speechless…

After some more talking I realized – my parents were thinking about me and my future all along, the crisis that happened in winter just happened unexpectedly but they want me to be happy, that's why they're sending me back.

I asked them many times to make sure that they mean 100% of what they've said and they said "yes" every time. I turned to Zoro with a big smile I could ever make. I honestly wanted to hug him right there in front of my parents but restrained myself.

Now that my Mom has got a job and Zoro and I both had some money with us we could've easily go back to the town and start fresh. Dad told us that it's okay for us to leave already the next day and I couldn't be happier – he approved Zoro, he was happy for me and he even said okay to me living together with the man sitting next to me. Zoro and I both stood up and thanked him a million times bowing. That made both of my parents laugh and the rest of the night went with lots of laughs and jokes.

That night, I couldn't fall asleep – I rolled on the bed and just couldn't sleep because of all the excitement. Zoro tried to calm me down but I was just beyond happy! I can't wait to see all my friends there! In the end, after one exciting love making, I fall asleep on Zoro's chest eagerly waiting for tomorrow.

…

Fresh autumn morning and Zoro and I were on a station, waiting for the bus to return to "our home". My Mom, Dad and, of course, my sister Mari were there to greet us away. Zoro and I had a great plan for when we go back to the town and we want to stick to it until the end. We both promised my family that we're call and visit from time to time so that they don't have to worry about us.

The bus finally came and we took off. Mom almost cried, reminding me and Zoro to dress in warm clothes and to call her sometimes. We were greeted out with smiled and a couple of tears but were really happy for going back to our town.

…

Familiar building, familiar front door, hallway and the elevator… it seemed so long since we seen it all. With smiles and holding hands, we entered the elevator, pressing 7 for our floor number. I wanted to know who to new owners of my apartment were but a thought about living with Zoro completely made me forget about that question.

Once the door opened we saw a familiar hallway and big pots with miniature thuja trees planted. Zoro took a deep breath and put his old apartment key in the lock. I gave him a smile of encouragement and the doorknob clicked open. We got in and everything seemed so perfect and untouched. The familiar scent of Zoro's apartment filled my nostrils and I felt like I was now truly at home. I almost cried but Zoro noticed that and hugged me. He stood silently and just hugged me.

"We're home.", he said, making my tear slide down my cheek. My arms went up and hugged him, gripping his jacket tightly. I was happy, joyful and just overwhelmed with emotions. I really missed this place. It was a place, apartment and a town where I truly belonged to and I would never want to leave again!

…

After some time, I learned that my old apartment was bought by non other that Ishikawa family. That fact really surprised me and that Hiroshi, lady Ishikawa's son, was now living with his girlfriend in that apartment. I was pleased with that because they are wonderful people who helped me so many times, supported me and now took over that small and cozy apartment.

Soon as noticing everyone that we came back a huge party was thrown at Zoro's and now mine apartment. There were drinks, food, songs and just all the positive emotions. Nami was hugging me forever, saying she missed me. Sanji was quite the same too and even with Zoro's threats he wouldn't stop with the hugs. We laughed and just had a great time.

The first thing next day a call came and it was from our former boss – Akagami Shanks. He wanted the two of us back but we couldn't take those jobs, we had our own plans. We turned down the offers and went to town to start our new mission – our new life.

The plan and the mission were to start anew – new jobs, new habits and new beginnings. So, after some searching and lots of running around, we found the jobs we liked. We were again the florist and the convenient store worker. And for the whole thing to be really freaky and crazy – the two stores were one across the other. Zoro and I just had great time working like that – we could see each other, we had more free time for ourselves after work and it was a breeze because we know how to do the job properly.

I could easily say that I was living a dream… New life began for us and we were more than happy! It wasn't just work for us – the whole time, it was all about us and our love!

* * *

**-THE END-**

_**Author's note**_: I wanted to publish this chapter before my birthday, which is tomorrow (Jan 24th) and end this story the way I planned all along.

I really hoped you enjoyed this story and that I made a nice one. ^^

I can't promise anything regarding the continuation of this story but for now have this extended (true) ending as the end of the story "It's not all about work".

Thank you so much for reading and I hope I see you on some of my future stories!

bye~


End file.
